Ohio's defense played about as effectively as a kid trying to clear 20 inches of snow with one small shovel during the current snowstorm pelting the Midwest.
Poor defense for much of the game put the Bobcats in a hole a late run couldn't help them overcome, and they lost to Central Michigan, 91-83 last night in Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Our defense was awful
coach John Groce said. It just wasn't good enough.
Scoring points has not been the problem for Ohio (10-13, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) all season, as the Bobcats entered the game with the highest-scoring offense in the MAC. But, as has been the case for most of the year, they couldn't stop the opponent from putting the ball in the basket.
The Chippewas (6-15, 3-5 MAC) entered the contest averaging only 58 points per game, but they had no trouble abusing Ohio's shoddy defense all night.
Freshman Trey Zeigler scored 24 points and Central Michigan shot 50 percent for the game. The Chippewas made their first eight 3-pointers and finished the game 9-for-14 from past the 3-point line.
After the Bobcats held a 25-17 lead at the 7:46 mark of the first half, the Chippewas went on a 35-13 run to take control of the game.
Keeping the ball in front defending ball screens keeping them of the glass
especially the offensive glass...basically any and everything (was our defensive problem)
Groce said. We tried zone. We changed up different schemes that we had during the game and they countered and answered.
Besides Zeigler and Jalin Thomas, who scored 22 points, three other Chippewas scored in double figures: Finis Craddock, Derek Jackson and Colin Voss.
When you have three guys in Jackson
Craddock and Voss
that average combined about 11 points a game and go for 36
that's plus 25 and that's the difference in the game.
On multiple occasions, the Bobcats had chances to get back into the game. After the Chippewas were up 63-53, Ohio went to a full-court press, forced two turnovers and cut the lead in half.
But Central Michigan answered with a layup off an offensive rebound and a 3-pointer to re-take the double-digit advantage.
In the closing minutes, the Bobcats pulled to within 85-81 before missed 3-pointers by D.J. Cooper and Tommy Freeman prevented them from getting any closer.
I wasn't disappointed with our toughness or effort
Groce said. I thought they went all the way to the buzzer trying to win the game.
Central Michigan's classes were cancelled Wednesday after the Midwest was hit with a big winter storm. But the Bobcats, who made it into town Tuesday night, and Chippewas took the court anyway.
Cooper scored a game-high 30 points, as Ohio's press increased the tempo of the game. But the Bobcats were beat on the press often, which led to many layups and foul shots on the other end for Central Michigan.
@ThePostSports
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