After blowing an 18-point halftime lead last Saturday against Buffalo, the Bobcats needed a win to at least try to remove the sting. Luckily for them, Eastern Michigan was the next team on the schedule.
Ohio took an early lead and kept adding to it throughout the contest during a 79-65 win against the Eagles last night at The Convo.
The Bobcats (9-11, 2-4 Mid-American Conference) ended its four-game home-loss streak and won at The Convo for the first time since Dec. 30.
(I'm) really pleased
more than anything between with the last game and today with the progress our team made mentally
coach John Groce said. ... I thought we got better tonight.
The Bobcats allowed the first eight points of the second half against the Bulls. Yesterday, Ohio scored the first four after the break.
Ivo Baltic had Ohio's first nine points of the half as he touched the ball inside four consecutive times against Brandon Bowdry, who already had two fouls for the Eagles.
We knew on offense
they were probably going to be coming out a little staggering. He's a big part of their offense
senior forward DeVaughn Washington said. Once we got out of the game
we were already attacking
but I think we just attacked even more.
Eastern Michigan (5-14, 2-4 MAC) never made the game close. Bowdry, the Eagles' leading scorer at 20.3 points per game, missed eight of his 11 shots and scored only eight points. The Bobcats flashed him a few different looks, occasionally using a double team and often trying to force him as far from the basket as possible.
The Eagles didn't get closer than their 16-point halftime deficit until less than a minute remained in the game.
Coach was on us in the locker room (at halftime)
point guard D.J. Cooper said. He told us it wasn't a 20-minute game and just reminded us we gotta try to play a full 40 minutes.
With Bowdry in foul trouble for most of the game, the Bobcats focused their attack inside.
Washington matched a season-high with 20 points and added nine rebounds - five more than he had in the previous three games combined - to lead Ohio on offense.
The Bobcats outscored Eastern Michigan 32-10 in the paint.
I thought he was better on the glass than he's been giving us
Groce said of Washington. That's one area I tell guys all the time I don't mind if you're selfish there. Get as many as you get.
Offensively, the Bobcats played as efficient a game as they have all season. They shot 56 percent, made seven of 11 3-pointers.
All 12 Bobcats played in the game. Reggie Keely, who has started eight games this season, was the last to see the floor, as he didn't check in the game until the 15:54 mark of the second half.
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