Not all wins are going to be pretty from start to finish. Ohio was playing on short rest but still managed a strong second half in its win over a Division II opponent.
Here are some fast reactions to Ohio’s 92-72 win over Purdue Northwest:
Working on short rest
Ohio faced Cleveland State on Sunday and blew the door open with a 101-46 victory. Following the cancelation of its game with Mississippi Valley, Ohio scheduled the game with Purdue Northwestern on short notice and were confirmed to play on Wednesday.
That meant there were only three days of rest from Ohio’s highest scoring game in two seasons. On top of that, there was only a day’s notice that Ohio was going to play a team it had little knowledge about. No time to study film or strategize. Ohio had to go in nearly blind and play its best on short rest.
Poor shooting in the first half
The Bobcats struggled to click in the first 20 minutes, failing to find the net and lacking the accuracy that’s been present this season. Whether it can be blamed on the short notice of the game or just an off-day, Ohio couldn’t find the net, and Purdue Northwest took the early lead.
Ohio shot 1-11 when attempting a 3-pointer in the first half, and was 15-33 when shooting before halftime. After a weak first half against a Division II opponent, questions have to be raised on what can be done to prevent another sluggish start in the future.
Underclassmen getting more playtime.
Boals has often expressed his desire to get his younger players more time on the court in order to boost their confidence and offer some hands-on experience. Freshman Sam Towns replaced Ben Roderick as a starter against Purdue Northwest and other underclassmen like Mark Sears and Miles Brown saw plenty of minutes in the first half.
It was a shaky half, but will serve as a learning experience for the young guns like Brown and Towns who saw the most action outside of the usual starters.
