Ohio started the New Year with a bang — literally — when junior guard Nick Kellogg cocked back and drained a three-pointer to begin the Bobcats’ rout of rival Marshall Saturday at The Convo.
Kellogg’s triple was made possible by a feed from senior forward Ivo Baltic, which was the first of Ohio’s 29 assists on the day, tying a single-game team record. By the time the Bobcats knocked down a field goal that didn’t stem from an assist, they were ahead by 27 points and were well on their way to a 94-57 victory.
Responsible for the lion’s share of the dishes was senior guard D.J. Cooper, whose 17 helpers set personal and program highs.
He left the court with 4:45 remaining to a standing ovation courtesy of an announced crowd of almost 7,000 — an impressive gathering considering most students had not yet returned to Athens from Winter Intersession.
From Kellogg’s three to Cooper’s departure and on to the final buzzer, the Thundering Herd (7-8) never had a moment to catch their breath.
The Bobcats (9-5) jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first three minutes and never looked back in what can rightfully be deemed the season’s signature win, to this point.
Ohio coach Jim Christian kept his foot on the gas throughout, making the rivals’ 100th meeting one that won’t fade from either team’s minds anytime soon.
For good measure, senior guard David McKinley and redshirt junior guard Nick Goff hit three-pointers of their own — Ohio’s 10th and 11th of the game — with less than 90 seconds remaining.
The game’s flow was representative of what Ohio needs to see similar success when it enters Mid-American Conference play Wednesday.
Each member of the Bobcats’ starting five — Christian’s third combination of the season — scored 12 points or more in the contest, and they were joined by a cast of bench players that were capable of picking up where they left off in terms of production and defensive play.
The Bobcats were unable to effectively combat Marshall’s offensive rebounding prowess, as it snagged 25 offensive boards. The Thundering Herd’s grabs on the offensive glass seemed like an afterthought, though, being that they converted the rebounds into only 30 points in the paint — less than half of which were made possible because of offensive rebounds.
As a comparison, the Bobcats had 38 points in the paint, but their interior attack was overshadowed by an evermore-successful transition game.
Ohio tallied almost two points off each of Marshall’s 26 turnovers, cashing in 51 total as a result of the Thundering Herd’s hiccups.
Ohio senior forwards Reggie Keely and Ivo Baltic had strong games, combining for 30 points on 14-of-16 shooting. Kellogg finished with 22, while redshirt senior guard Walter Offutt had 13 of his own. Cooper also had 12 tallies.
The Bobcats shot a team Convo record 65 percent from the floor and also drained 47.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Ohio will have three days to prepare for MAC play, which it opens against Buffalo Wednesday.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
