Another lead, another blown opportunity and another loss for the Bobcats.
Ohio watched as a 10-point second-half lead slipped away in the Bobcats' 72-69 loss on Buffalo's Senior Night.
It's disappointing when we've been in that situation on several occasions over the year
coach John Groce said. We had made some progress over the last week or two and then we just didn't make enough plays.
Armon Bassett scored with 40 seconds remaining to give Ohio a 69-67 lead, but Rodney Pierce answered with a 3-pointer to give Buffalo its second lead of the game.
Pierce stole D.J. Cooper's inbound pass under the basket with 10-seconds remaining. Buffalo's John Bowyer then scored two from the charity stripe before Bassett missed Ohio's last chance.
Rodney Pierce was the best player in the gymnasium Groce said. My hat's off to him. He was incredible. He made big shot after big shot.
We did a poor job on the 3 when we were up two. The only thing I said to (the players) is, 'Hey, defend the 3-point line,' and then we lost (Pierce). We made a major error on a cover.
Ohio started both halves the same as the game did - delayed.
Senior center Kenneth van Kempen's mid-range basket was the Bobcats' only points through the first four minutes of the second half
as the Bulls pulled within two.
Cooper's 3-pointer at the 15:35 mark sparked the Bobcats and gave Ohio a five-point lead
but Buffalo crawled back to within one after Sean Smiley's 3-pointer with about 11 minutes left.
After Smiley's 3
Ohio went on a 12-3 run from for a 63-53 lead
but the lead didn't last.
Ohio's poor start to the game didn't help things.
The Bobcats went down 7-2 in the first two and a half minutes
and scored only four points in the first four minutes.
Then the Bobcats woke up offensively. Ohio shot 16-29 overall in the half
including 5-11 from beyond the arc. The Bobcats started 2-5 from the field and committed four turnovers before the first media timeout.
Bassett hit a 3-pointer to put Ohio down one at 13-12 with 12:40 remaining in the half. He scored six of Ohio's 12 points in the first seven minutes.
Junior Tommy Freeman and van Kempen took over with nine minutes remaining. Van Kempen scored six points
and had four rebounds in that span. He finished the half with 10 points and five rebounds.
Freeman drained two 3-pointers and scored another three points the old-fashioned way for his only points of the half. At the 4:31 mark
Freeman's 3-pointer extended Ohio's lead to double digits
