It was the second game of the season for Ohio, but it was the first for Steven Coleman, and he wasted no time to get going.
The sophomore guard scored nine of Ohio's first 11 points and led the Bobcats to an 81-68 win over Middle Tennessee State yesterday.
Overall, the Florida native had 21 points and added four assists in a solid first game. Freshman D.J. Cooper continued to play well, scoring 15 points and dishing out eight assists.
In addition to Coleman and Cooper, forward DeVaughn Washington poured in 18 points and guard Tommy Freeman contributed 11.
Friday, the Bobcats cruised to their first win of the season with a 101-72 victory over Ohio Valley.
Ohio was led by freshman Ivo Baltic, who came off the bench to score 20 points and grab eight rebounds in only 17 minutes of play.
He's relentless. He gets after the ball and his motor is always running
said Ohio coach John Groce. Tonight he made the most of his opportunities and finished very well for us.
After allowing Ohio Valley to shoot 56.5 percent from the field in the first half, the Bobcats lowered that percentage to 41.2 percent after intermission.
I thought our effort and our concentration and determination to defend was much better in the second half Groce said.
Ohio outscored OVU 58-39 in the second half, and exceeded the century mark for the first time since they scored 102 against Cornell in 2007.
Ohio out-rebounded the Fighting Scots 63-25, and totaled 34 offensive boards in the win.
All of our guys were all over the glass tonight Groce said. The better you rebound the ball
the better it's going to be a lot of nights for you.
In a total team effort, Ohio had five guys score double-figures, and two others came close with eight points.
Much of the Bobcats' success can be attributed to Cooper, who recorded his first colligate double-double with 13 points and 12 assists.
I just slowed myself down a little bit
Cooper said. Coach has put a lot of trust in me.
Groce was also pleased with the play of sophomore DeVaughn Washington, who missed the first exhibition game because of a suspension for a violation of team rules.
I thought he played ridiculously hard the entire time he was out there
Groce said. He has really made a lot of strides in the last week to week-and-a-half.
After the game, coach Groce announced the departure of freshman Marquis Horne, who has decided to leave the team for personal reasons.
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Rob Ogden
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