Ohio (10-8, 2-4 Mid-American Conference) defeated Western Michigan (6-13, 1-6 MAC) 81-76 on Tuesday inside The Convo.
The Bobcats trailed by 12 early in the first half, but with a resurgence in the offense Ohio was able to overcome the early deficit.
The win is Ohio’s first since Jan. 12 at Ball State.
Here are three stats that mattered in Ohio’s win:
10
Number of 3-pointers made by Ohio, a season-high. For much of the month of January, Ohio’s struggled to score at will. Without a go-to shooter, the Bobcats’ haven’t been able to find someone to rely on throughout the start of conference play. On Tuesday night, a collection of Bobcats helped Ohio shoot 43.4 percent from beyond the arc. Gavin Block, James Gollon, Antonio Cowart and Ben Vander Plas each hit a 3-pointer.
8
Number of minutes played by Gollon, who exited the game with a non-contact injury with less than two minutes to go in the first half. Gollon, a redshirt junior guard, rehabbed throughout the first half of the season and made his return in the last five games. He missed his sophomore season due to surgery, and last season played in the last half after rehabbing for most of it from the surgery.
The Bobcats’ have been in need of a reliable shooter from the beyond the arc, especially with the absence of Jordan Dartis. Gollon was starting to become that shooter, which showed Tuesday night as he finished with three 3-pointers and 13 points. The injury leaves a new hole in Ohio’s unpredictable offense and takes another veteran off the court.
1
Tuesday marked the first game Ohio has won at The Convo since Dec. 30 when the Bobcats defeated Florida International, 68-66. It also stops a sliding Ohio team which had lost its last two and three of its last five headed into Tuesday night. The mix of offensive production and strong defense down the stretch gives the Bobcats’ something to build on.
Ohio continues MAC play on Saturday at The Convo versus Ball State. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
