Ohio got the boost it needed when it dominated Central Michigan 76-50 inside The Convo on Tuesday night.
The Bobcats shook off a slow opening stretch to notch their 15th win inside The Convo this season. Tommy Schmock led with a career-high 23 points, and Ben Vander Plas notched the first triple-double of his career. The Bobcats smacked the Chippewas and played at the top of their game.
Here are a few quick reactions to Ohio's win over Central Michigan:
Schmock commands from deep
Over the course of the season, Schmock has come into his own as a dependable role player who can come off the bench and knock down easy 3-pointers. He's shown his skill beyond the arc throughout Ohio's February schedule, and put it on full display Tuesday.
The guard kept Ohio's performance from 3-point range alive. Schmock drilled four 3-pointers in the first half and led both teams in scoring heading into halftime. He hit a small snag early after halftime, but Schmock stuck to where he was comfortable and ended the game with seven total 3-pointers.
Playing aggressive
After a stretch of games in which the Bobcats have been slow after tipoff, Tuesday was a change of pace. The Bobcats played hard early and overwhelmed the Chippewas. Stringent defense kept the Chippewas from getting open looks and forced turnovers that the Bobcats relished.
By the second half, Ohio had Central Michigan locked down and refused to let up.
Making up for last time
When the Bobcats visited the Chippewas in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, on Feb. 10, they had to rally after a sluggish first half and won by nine points. A win is a win, but the Bobcats were threatened by a team in the bottom half of the MAC.
But Ohio didn't give Central Michigan the chance to keep pace in The Convo. It came out hard and had run away with the lead by halftime. A quick scoring run to begin the second half widened the gap. After a rough loss to Kent State last Friday, a blowout win inside The Convo is what Ohio needed.
