In a game where they started three freshmen, the Bobcats opened exhibition play Friday night with a 76-40, victory over Taylor University.
We knew they (the freshmen) would be excited to play
said Ohio coach John Groce. If it's your first college game and first time putting on the Green and White and you're not excited then you don't have a pulse.
Among the starters were freshmen forwards Marquis Horne and Reggie Keely, as well as point guard D.J. Cooper.
Keely led all scorers with 18 points while another Ohio freshman, Ivo Baltic, led the team in rebounds with 11.
We're trying to bring those guys along as quickly as possible
Groce said. They did a good job tonight.
The Bobcats jumped to a 16-0 lead in the first six minutes and never looked back, eventually running their lead to 29-2 before Taylor could register its second basket.
Ohio shot 53.4 percent from the floor while holding the Trojans to a mere 30 percent.
I was pleased with our ability to affect their field goal percentage
from three and from the field
Groce said.
Although Groce acknowledged that Taylor University was not the stiffest competition, he said he will not assess the game any differently.
We're not going to focus on the name of the opponent
Groce said. We were more focused on who we are
what we're about and executing our system.
Ohio was without sophomore Steven Coleman and juniors Armon Bassett and DeVaughn Washington, who were suspended for violating team rules.
Coleman is suspended for three games and Bassett and Washington are suspended indefinitely. Groce would not go into further detail.
Groce and Ohio assistant coach Chris Holtmann both graduated from Taylor in 1994, and played under current Taylor coach Paul Patterson.
I have to meet with them and run them tonight when its over if they're going to treat us like this when we come
Patterson said jokingly.
I've got a lot of respect for what they've done
they're both tough competitors
he said.
We've got several kids on our team who want to be coaches. If they work as hard as those two did
