FAIRBORN, Ohio — Ohio is off to its best start since the 1940-1941 season thanks to an 82-54 win at Wright State.
During a game in which 50 fouls were committed, Ohio dominated from the opening tip, as Wright State’s first basket occurred at the 16:07 mark of the first half. Ohio then padded its lead with a 20-5 run in the first half.
At halftime, Ohio went into the locker room ahead by 21 points. The Bobcats continued their dominance with a10-1 run to open the second half.
Ohio was able to get into the post, scoring 30 points in the paint. Juniors Reggie Keely and Ivo Baltic had 11and 15 points, respectively, and helped contribute to Ohio’s 61 percent field-goal percentage. Fellow junior D.J. Cooper paced the team with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Having three players score in double figures was a main reason why coach John Groce said his team’s depth will bode well for the unit moving forward.
“I think when you play us, you can’t necessarily just key on one guy or two guys,” he said. “We’ve got different guys and combinations of guys that can play together and different guys that can score the basketball.”
Groce attributes maturity to his team’s 9-1 start on the season.
“I think these guys are older. They’ve had a lot more games under their belt, they’re a lot more experienced, and hopefully we continue to come out ready to play like we have the first part of the season,” Groce said.
Ohio’s defense allowed only one Wright State player to enter double figures on the night and held the Raiders to a 38 percent shooting percentage.
The Bobcats were able to gash the Raiders for 21 turnovers and turned those into 30 points. Junior Walter Offutt, who was at Wright State before coming to Ohio, is pleased with the direction the team is going heading into a tough contest against Northern Iowa. “We’re fortunate to get the win, but we’re also fortunate to know we have to clean up some things here and get better and get ready for Tuesday’s game,” Offutt said.
The Bobcats are back in action Tuesday, when they visit Northern Iowa.
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