Freeman, Ali big down the stretch as Zips top Bobcats
Ohio's season ends with 65-62 MAC semifinal loss
By Lonnie McMillan / Contributor Friday, March 15, 2024
CLEVELAND – Ohio could not stop Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Enrique Freeman, who willed Akron to a 65-62 victory with a monster game in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament on Friday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Freeman finished with 24 points, 21 rebounds and seven blocks to send the No. 2 Zips (23-10) to the championship game against their rival Kent State. The surprise No. 8 seed Golden Flashes (17-16) won the first semifinal 73-60 over No. 5 seed Bowling Green.
Ali Ali also was big down the stretch, making amends for a technical foul that forced him to the bench for much of the second half. He had 16 points and eight rebounds. Sammy Hunter’s 3-point shooting also was key as he scored 14 points.
No. 3 seed Ohio... <Read More>
Ohio shuts down Western Michigan in blowout win
Bobcats advance to take on Akron in MAC semifinals
By Lonnie McMillan / Contributor Thursday, March 14, 2024
CLEVELAND – Ohio shut out Western Michigan for the first six minutes and coasted from there in an 82-55 victory in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference tournament Thursday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The No. 3 seed Bobcats (20-12) won their seventh straight game and held the No. 6 Broncos (12-20) to 32.8% shooting, including just 24.0% shooting in the first half. Ohio will take on No. 2 seed Akron (22-10) in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday. The Zips overcame a slow start to beat No. 7 Miami 75-63.
Shareef Mitchell led Ohio with 15 points and six steals. Jaylin Hunter and Miles Brown added 13 points each, with Hunter also contributing five assists and five steals.
The Bobcats scored the game’s first eight points as... <Read More>
Bobcats sweep season series with RedHawks
Ohio enters MAC Tournament on 6-game winning streak
By Lonnie McMillan / Contributor Friday, March 8, 2024
OXFORD – Ohio overcame a slow start to take down Miami 72-59 on Friday night at Millett Hall to enter the Mid-American Conference tournament on a six-game winning streak.
The RedHawks had a lead as big as 27-14 with just 3:20 left in the first half, but the Bobcats closed the gap to one by halftime with a 12-0 run and then took control in the second half.
Shareef Mitchell and Aidan Hadaway scored 20 points each for Ohio (19-12, 13-5 MAC), with Mitchell adding eight rebounds.
Anderson Mirambeaux paced Miami (15-16, 9-9 MAC) with 13 points. Eian Elmer added 12 points.
Things started turning the Bobcats’ way beginning with a Mitchell layup. Jaylin Hunter scored a basket, and then Hadaway followed with a 3-pointer, a layup following an... <Read More>
Bobcats shoot their way past Bulls
Clayton, Mitchell scored 23 points each
By Lonnie McMillan / Contributor Tuesday, March 5, 2024
BUFFALO, N.Y. – AJ Clayton knocked down a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored a career-best 23 points, a total matched by Shareef Mitchell, as Ohio stayed hot with its fifth straight win, 78-66, against Buffalo on Tuesday night at Alumni Arena.
Mitchell came up a point shy of his best mark of 24 points. The two carried the load as the only Ohio players in double digits.
The Bobcats (18-12, 12-5 Mid-American Conference) scored the first nine points of the game on a 3-pointer by Aidan Hadaway and then two by Clayton. The Bulls (4-26, 2-15 MAC) got as close as 16-14 on two Jonnivius Smith free throws, but this time it was a Miles Brown three-point play and a long-distance shot by Ike Cornish that gave Ohio separation again.
Elmore James... <Read More>
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