With the Bobcats down to their last four regular season games, Jerome Tillman knows the burden is on the seniors to get the Bobcats out of a slump that's plagued them for the last month.
But Ohio is running out of second chances.
I take a lot of responsibility
with the other seniors and Coach Groce over the last four games Tillman said. This is it. We have to go all out.
Coach John Groce will make sure his team goes all out in practice this week coming off Ohio's 73-51 loss to Eastern Kentucky Saturday in its BracketBuster game. In that contest, the Bobcats fell behind early and never could recover.
Groce has watched the film from that game. He said the large margin of defeat was a combination of Eastern Kentucky entering the game on a roll and Ohio not playing well.
I thought we let them impose their will for the first eight or nine minutes of the game
Groce said. They kind of set the rules of the game from an aggressiveness standpoint.
Ohio (13-13, 6-6 MAC) improved its aggressiveness in the second half, as the Colonels only outscored the Bobcats by six.
But Groce still wasn't satisfied, especially with the 19 turnovers his team committed - 10 of which came in the second half.
We over-dribbled the basketball throughout the course of the game
Groce said. We needed to pass the ball more.
Point guard Michael Allen, who is normally the Bobcats' most reliable ball handler, was uncharacteristically responsible for six of those turnovers.
Groce said the Colonels' 1-3-1 zone defense caused problems for Allen.
They did a good job in putting Mike in situations where he was under duress all game
Groce said. It certainly wasn't one of his better games.
Ohio hasn't played any of its better games lately. Since a victory Jan. 20 over Akron, the Bobcats are just 3-6. During that stretch, Ohio has gone from a Mid-American Conference championship contender to the league's cellar.
I thought the quality of our team basketball was at its best three weeks ago
Groce said. We've got to get that headed in the other direction.
Yet if the Bobcats want to turn it around, they will have to do it against the conference's top schools. Ohio's opponents over the final four games have a combined record in MAC play of 33-15.
Guys are still fighting the fight which is really good
Groce said. A lot of times guys will cash it in. Our guys have not done that.
Lineup changes?
Groce said there could be some changes in the lineup for his team's game Thursday against Miami.
I'm not a guy who likes to do it
though
to play mind games
Groce said. I like guys to earn it.
Whether or not players start, they will still see action in the game because of Ohio's lack of depth.
Those guys that haven't been playing as well and don't get the nod Thursday night have to do a good job for us off the bench
