Ohio (11-11 overall, 5-5 Mid-American Conference) has hit its mid-season slump at a very inopportune time, losing four of its last five games. Akron and Kent State beat Ohio by a combined 36 points over the last two, and before that, the Bobcats fell in two road games at Toledo and a poor Ball State team.
Before this five-game stretch, Ohio beat its opponent, Buffalo, on Saturday, Jan. 10 by a score of 91-80. The Bobcats were outplayed by the Bulls in the first half of that contest but then outscored them by 14 in the second period to win by double-digits, led by senior forward Aidan Hadaway and senior guard Jackson Paveletzke.
Since playing in The Convo, Buffalo (14-7 overall, 4-5 MAC) has also gone 1-4 in that stretch and still sits behind the Bobcats in the MAC standings. Outside of a blowout loss to Akron, the Bulls' margin of defeat in their other three losses was just over three points.
Buffalo was barely beatable at home to start the season, starting 6-1, but has lost its last three, including a blown second-half lead to UMass last Friday night that resembled the Bulls' loss in Athens.
The Bulls will look to build on their win over Bowling Green on Tuesday. They dominated the turnover battle in the game, something they can capitalize on with an Ohio team that has struggled to take care of the ball in tight games this season.
For Ohio, it will need to limit the second-chance opportunities and get some production from its bench unit. Against Kent State on Tuesday, the Bobcats allowed 18 second-chance points and were once again outscored by an opponent's second unit. If Ohio can find improvements in these areas and focus on their scoring in the paint, the Bobcats will be able to complete their sweep of the Bulls Saturday.
Game Information
Location: Alumni Arena, Buffalo, New York
Opponent: Buffalo
Time: Saturday, 2 p.m.
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Head Coach: George Halcovage III (3rd Season)
Projected Starters:
#01 Noah Batchelor
#02 Ryan Sabol
#05 Daniel Freitag
#14 Angelo Brizzi
#33 Tim Oboh
Statistical Leaders:
Points: Freitag (19.9 per game)
Assists: Freitag (3.8 per game)
Rebounds: Batchelor (4.8 per game)
Steals: Brizzi (1.9 per game)
FG%: Oboh (60.6 %)
3-Point Percentage: Ezra McKenna (45.5 %)
Matchup to watch: Paveletzke vs Freitag
Ohio has relied on a scoring surge from Paveletzke in nearly every game this season, but his impact has gone beyond point production. He is also a skilled passer and someone whom the Bobcats use to draw the defense and find open looks for their other players.
Freitag is a very similar play, and when these two go up against each other, it will be a test to see which talented guard can make more plays for himself and his teammates. That being said, the offensive talent is strong, but the defensive side of the ball will be where this game is won or lost for either team, as they hope to slow the other one down.
