ATHENS, Ohio ? The Ohio men?s basketball team saw a 17-point second-half lead shrink to zero down the stretch but the Bobcats held on and defeated Eastern Michigan 68-65 Wednesday night in Mid-American Conference action at the Convocation Center.

After leading 38-23 at the break, it took a couple big free throws and a pair of strong defensive stops for Ohio (15-9, 9-6 MAC) to hold off a feverish Eastern Michigan (12-14, 5-10 MAC) comeback.

?You have to be grateful when you don?t play your best game ? and I think that was the case in the second half ? and you still come out with a win,? said Ohio head coach Tim O?Shea.

Freshman forward Leon Williams (Baltimore) and junior forward Jeff Halbert (White Bear Lake, Minn.) each hit one of two bonus free throws to give Ohio a three-point lead with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. On Eastern Michigan?s next possession, guard Michael Ross drove the lane and attempted to cut the lead to one with a lay-in. Ohio?s Jeremy Fears (Joliet, Ill.), however, came from behind and rejected Ross? attempt.

Bobcat center Clay McGowen (Westerville) grabbed the rebound and was fouled but missed two free throws, giving the Eagles one more shot. Down three, 94 feet from the hoop and with less than three seconds to go, Eastern Michigan?s full-court pass attempt was snatched out of the air by junior guard Mychal Green (Columbus) as the horn sounded, securing Ohio?s ninth league win.

Green, still battling back trouble, scored eight points and recorded three steals. Ohio was led by Williams? 16 points and 11 boards, marking the sixth double-double of the freshman?s career. Fears and sophomore forward Sonny Troutman (Indianapolis) each kicked in 14 in the winning effort.

Both teams traded the lead throughout the beginning of the first half until Ohio took over in the final 10 minutes. Tied at 18 with 10:09 left in the first half, the Bobcats went on a commanding 20-5 run into the break. Williams scored 11 by halftime and Ohio also got production from its bench as Halbert and senior point guard Diamond Gladney (St. Louis) combined for 11 of their own.

?We did a very good job of rebounding and defending in the first half,? O?Shea said.

The Eagles steadily carved the Bobcat lead in the second half but Ohio had a double-digit advantage as late as the 10:50 mark. From there, Eastern Michigan capitalized on several Bobcat turnovers ? three in a row at one point ? and tied the game with 7:35 remaining. They would knot the game up once more at the 6:46 mark but could not get closer than two for the remainder of the contest.

?In the second half, I thought we showed some frustration out there,? O?Shea said. ?We showed some immaturity.?

The Eagles were led by three scorers in double figures, including James Jackson?s 15 points and eight boards. Markus Austin and Danny McElhinny each chipped in 12.

Gladney finished with five points while Halbert recorded seven to round out the scoring for the Bobcars.

With three conference games left on the slate, Ohio still remains in the hunt for either a bye or first-round home game in the MAC Tournament.

Next up for the Bobcats is a visit to Huntington, W.Va, for a date with the Marshall Thundering Herd. Game time is set for 7 p.m. Saturday in the Cam Henderson Center.