With the exhibition season ending, the Bobcats received a hard-but-needed test from the Walsh Cavaliers.
The Bobcats pulled out a 78-64 victory against the Cavaliers. Ohio led for the majority of the contest but had trouble pulling away from Walsh.
It was a tremendous challenge for us
said coach John Groce. It was a game we needed from the standpoint of how competitive it was.
As the Bobcats attempted to rotate different lineups throughout the second half, the units lacked cohesion, and that allowed the Cavaliers to stay in the game.
Walsh pulled within five points in the middle of the second half, with guards Lamar Skeeter and Jeremy Shardo leading the charge.
Nick Kellogg's and-one layup and 3-pointers from T.J. Hall and Tommy Freeman put some distance between the teams.
As the Cavaliers hung around, D.J. Cooper kept the offensive charge going with two late 3-pointers. A dazzling fade-away three put the Bobcats up 69-58, effectively sealing the hard-fought win.
Groce attributed the struggles to Walsh playing tougher than Ohio, something he was surprised about after the team had a superb week of practice.
We need to get a lot tougher Groce said. Mentally and physically I thought for the bulk of the game that (Walsh) was the tougher team.
Cooper finished the game with 25 points and looked comfortable creating shots for himself. He distributed the ball effectively and had some dazzling passes.
I'm working on my shot selection
Cooper said. When to shoot and when to pass it. I just need to keep working on taking better shots or giving my teammates the ball.
With DeVaughn Washington suspended, Ivo Baltic led the Bobcats' effort from the post in an eight-point, eight-rebound effort.
The Bobcats spent a lot of the game trying to figure out how to use their versatile freshmen. Ricardo Johnson, Hall and Kellogg all received significant playing time.
Hall looked the most comfortable out of the newcomers and finished the game with 11 points.
I thought they did some good things and can get better
Groce said about the freshmen. ... T.J. is a guy
moving forward
that we can use as a sort of mismatch guy. He's a bigger three-man and can do a lot of everything.
The game ends Ohio's two-game exhibition season. The Bobcats begin regular season play Nov. 13 against Delaware.
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Sports
Will Frasure
