Everything went right for Ohio (12-10, 6-4 Mid-American Conference) in its 94-69 win over MAC foe Western Michigan (7-15, 4-6 MAC). Coming into the night with back-to-back losses, Ohio picked up a much-needed victory to get back on track as it battles through a tough MAC schedule.
The story of the night was the return of star forward AJ Clayton, who had missed three games before being named a starter Tuesday night against Western Michigan.
“I had to knock off some rust in the first few minutes but it was great to be back,” Clayton said. “Especially to come back at home for my first game, it’s a great feeling.”
Clayton finished his night with 18 points, including four 3-pointers and six rebounds. In his performance, Clayton proved he’s fully healthy and ready for the final nine conference matchups.
Having Clayton back was invaluable for Ohio. He provided not only meaningful point production but also a much-needed mental boost for a team that has struggled in his absence.
“He’s a fourth-year guy who’s played in a lot of big games,” Ohio coach Jeff Boals said. “His voice was big even when he was out…He may not have been playing, but he still had a role on the team.”
While all eyes were on Clayton's presence, redshirt sophomore AJ Brown and junior Jackson Paveletzke had some of their best performances of the season so far.
Brown, who has been a steady contributor for the Bobcats, scored 17 points on six-of-ten shooting and four rebounds.
Paveletzke didn’t have quite the scoring numbers that Clayton and Brown had, but he came closer than anyone in recent memory to a triple-double night in The Convo. To end the game, the Iowa State transfer had nine rebounds, eight assists and 7 points, marking him just a few stats of Ohio’s first triple-double since Ben Vander Plas almost 3 years ago.
A slew of impressive performances from its starters and its bench provided an impressive 24-point lead for Ohio at the half, 48-24. The second half was no different for the Bobcats.
“I’m really proud of our effort tonight,” Boals said. “They came in with the right mindset.”
Ohio proved that it was not only proficient on the offensive end but also on defense, as it recorded four total steals and five blocks. Additionally, Ohio was able to out-rebound Western Michigan 33-30. After having a handful of games where they struggled to rebound, Boals was proud of his team's effort on the glass against the Broncos.
“Whenever we put up (defensive) numbers, we usually win,” Brown said. “That’s what coach is big on, getting those defensive stops so that we can get those points in transition.”
The value of what Ohio was able to get done Tuesday night can not be understated. Not only did the team pick up a win to stop a streak of losses, but it also returned one of its star players. With Clayton healthy, Ohio is a completely different team than what it put out against Miami and Toledo.
“We needed to come out and win,” Boals said. “There’s no such thing as a ‘must-win’ game, but this was a must-win for us.”
