Short-handed, the Bobcats needed to play inspired basketball.
Ohio played with nine players - seven on scholarship and two walk-ons - in Ohio's 65-58 overtime win over Toledo yesterday night. The Bobcats were without freshman guard Jay Kinney, who has been suspended indefinitely for violating team rules and policies.
To make matters worse, Ohio (12-10, 3-5 Mid-American Conference) had only eight players for most of the second half, as Armon Bassett disappeared to the locker room seven minutes into the half. Coach John Groce sent Bassett off because of his lack of effort.
There are two things that aren't negotiable in our program
Groce said. That's effort and attitude and I didn't like either one of them at that juncture (from Bassett).
Because of the lack of players, the Bobcats watched a seven-point halftime advantage slowly disappear. The Rockets took their second lead of the game at 44-42 when Jake Barnett drained a jumper with 6:32 remaining in regulation.
Ohio didn't panic and managed to regain the lead off a Tommy Freeman layup with 3:38 remaining and managed to regain a five-point lead.
But the Rockets (3-20, 0-9 MAC) didn't go away.
Toledo scored nine points in the last minute, including a Barnett 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
Ohio started fast in the extra period, scoring the first six points and recording the tough away victory.
I'm proud of our guys' toughness in the overtime Groce said. I'm proud of the poise that they had to make plays at winning time
and that came from several different guys.
Freshmen Reggie Keely and D.J. Cooper led the Bobcats. Both recorded double-doubles in points and rebounds. Keely scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Cooper went for 10 points and 11 rebounds. Freeman added 17 points.
Despite the statistics, it didn't feel like a double-double to Keely. He shot 2-of-9 from the charity strip.
I need to make my free throws
he said. It's terrible.
The Rockets, who lost 12 games in a row coming into the matchup, started as a team that already had 19 loses on the season. Toledo scored the game's first basket at the 19:04 mark, but they proceeded to go on an 8:30 drought.
Toledo turned the ball over as many times as it shot, recording six turnovers and going 0-6 from the field. Two of those turnovers were 5-second violations by the Rockets.
Ohio did not take advantage, though. The Bobcats scored nine points in that same span.
Freeman was Ohio's best offensive threat in the first half, scoring three 3-pointers. But he played most of the half in foul trouble and recorded his third with 43 seconds remaining.
Even though both offenses gained steam in the latter 10 minutes of the half, both teams shot well below average. The Bobcats went 33.3 percent from the field, while the Rockets made 26.1 percent. Ohio went into halftime with a 25-18 lead.
The Bobcats' do not have much downtime to celebrate before their next game.
Ohio faces Eastern Michigan tomorrow afternoon. The Eagles lost to Kent State 75-68 at home.
The Eagles (11-11, 3-6 MAC) are lead by junior forward Brandon Bowdry, who averages 16 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
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Matt Wagner
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Ohio forward Tommy Freeman attempts a shot under the outreached arm of Ball State forward Terrence Watson in the second half of Ohio's 67-66 overtime loss to Ball State Jan. 30. (Kyle Grantham | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
