Ohio (2-1) travels to Cincinnati to face off against Xavier (2-2). In Ohio’s small sample size of three games, it has shown a large improvement from last season. The Bobcats currently have the third-best offense in the Mid-American Conference, averaging 74.0 points per game. Ohio is also ranked second in turning margin in the MAC, forcing teams to commit lots of turnovers, which has led to a lot of offense on the other end for the Bobcats. Ohio is first in the MAC with steals, averaging around 13 a game with a total of 40 on the season. The Bobcats have been one of the better defensive teams early on in the season and look to continue to build that reputation against Xavier.
The offense is ranked very high because of the high amount of shots Ohio shoots during games. The shooting percentage in both field goals and 3-pointers is very lacking for the Bobcats. Ohio is shooting 26.7% from three on an average of 30 attempts per game, while also shooting under 40 percent at a clip of 39.7% from the field. Ohio is attempting 61 shots a game but struggles to convert a lot of them, which becomes a problem when Ohio faces a team that doesn’t turn the ball over often. The Bobcats also have struggled on free throws this season, shooting 69.3% from the charity stripe.
Game Info:
Opponent: Xavier
Date and Time: Nov. 20, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Cintas Center (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Where to watch: ESPN+
Xavier is currently on a two-game losing streak, having been handed losses by Dayton and fellow MAC member Kent State. Xavier has struggled mightily with taking care of the ball, averaging slightly over 18 turnovers a game, something that the Bobcats will look to take advantage of. Xavier is also only averaging 60 points a game, and one of its wins had it only score 53 points in what was an offensive mess. Xavier ranks dead last in its conference, The Big East Conference, in points scored per game, having a 30-point gap between the first team.
Xavier has also shot the ball worse than Ohio in every category besides free throws. Xavier is currently shooting 37.8% on the season and 21.2% from three, which ranks Xavier 10th out of 11 spots in the Big East Conference. Xavier’s offense has been rough, and if Ohio can capitalize on that and force those turnovers, Ohio can maintain control of this game.
Players to Watch:
Ohio’s guard Aliah McWhorter has been one of the standout players for the Bobcats this season, leading the team in points per game with 12 and also leading the team in field goal percentage, shooting at a clip of 58.3%. Ohio’s Bailey Tabling and Danni Scully also will be players to watch, as Tabling leads Ohio in steals with 2.3 a game and Scully is second on the team with 2.0 steals per game. Against a team like Xavier, which turns the ball over a good amount, expect both of these players to feast in the steals category.
