Ohio basketball extended its record to 7-1 after a 72-54 win at Portland in the first contest ever between the two teams.
The Bobcats let the Pilots linger in the first half before eventually pulling away in the second half. Ohio was leading 38-35 at the half.
In the first half alone, there were seven lead changes and seven ties. Juniors Walter Offutt and D.J. Cooper led the charge for Ohio with 12 and 14 points, respectively.
Cooper also finished the game with a triple-double as he hauled in 10 rebounds and dished out 10 assists. It was the first triple-double of his career.
"First triple double of my ou career!" Cooper tweeted after the game. "But even better because we got the road win!"
Sophomore Jon Smith had his best game as a Bobcat, and he contributed 11 points to the cause.
Despite holding the lead at the half, it was a back-and-forth first half, with neither team gaining an outright edge. Ohio was plagued by 10 first-half fouls and the Bobcats were outrebounded 19-17.
To make matters worse, Cooper was called for a technical foul at the 3:18 mark. Portland then proceeded to take a 32-27 lead at the 2:27 mark of the first half. But, Ohio responded with a 11-point run, before Portland narrowed the halftime deficit to three.
After the break, Ohio settled down and stepped on the gas. The Bobcats capitalized on 15 Portland turnovers, scoring 17 points.
Ohio dominated in the paint, outscoring the Pilots 28-18, and junior Reggie Keely scored all of his five points in the second half.
The Bobcats tightened up their defense and Portland’s first field goal of the second half came at the 13:12 mark. They also held the Pilots to 29 percent shooting in the second half.
Ohio comes home to face Marietta College on Wednesday, before traveling to Wright State on Saturday.
