Justin Orr remembers walking off the floor Miami's Millett Hall last season defeated.
Absolutely defeated.
Neither Orr nor his teammates could sugarcoat the Bobcats' 73-49 loss to the RedHawks on March 1. Ohio trailed by as many as 29 points in the second half.
The 72-63 victory over their rival less than two months prior became a distant memory.
We didn't play up to our potential
Orr said. It was frustrating. They put us out of our misery.
Forward Jerome Tillman had similar sentiments of disgust, saying it was probably the team's lowest point of the season.
My pride stepped in Tillman said of the loss. I hated that feeling.
Tillman and his teammates would feel the same way two weeks later when Miami beat the Bobcats again in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament, 74-61.
Orr, Tillman and point guard Michael Allen are the only remaining key contributors from that loss. The six Ohio newcomers will get a firsthand taste of what the Ohio-Miami rivalry is about.
They are not privy to the Ohio-Miami rivalry said Tillman.
Tillman certainly is, but he has never defeated the RedHawks in Oxford during his career.
He has one more shot.
Getting a win against them is icing on the cake
Tillman said.
Getting any win at Miami has been difficult for Ohio lately. The Bobcats (8-6, 1-0 MAC) have not won in Millett Hall since 2003.
Although this will be coach John Groce's first trip to Oxford, he is aware of the importance of winning on the road in the MAC.
We've got to play more consistently whether it's a home game or road game
said Groce. Every possession counts.
That is especially true against the RedHawks, who attempt to slow the game with the tough defensive mindset of coach Charlie Coles. Coles' team is first in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing 59.1 points per game.
You have to earn everything
Groce said. It will certainly be a challenge to score.
It was a challenge last year when the Bobcats shot 24.6 percent from the field. While they struggled to make baskets, Miami did not because of forward Michael Bramos. He torched the Bobcats with 19 first-half points - five more than Ohio did as a team.
Bramos once again is the RedHawks' leading scorer with 17.5 points per game. Orr, who will guard Bramos, hopes that he doesn't have the same type of offensive explosion.
Bramos is a good player
Orr said. (The game's) going to be huge for me.
It will also be huge for the seniors hoping to walk out of Millett with a completely different feeling this time.
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Sports
Steve Gartner
