Dec. 30, 2006
Box Score | Quotes
CLEVELAND - Junior Leon Williams (Baltimore, Md.) scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead four Bobcats in double figures, as Ohio defeated Big East member Cincinnati 79-66 Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena. The win was the third straight for the Bobcats.
"Overall, I think the key for us was the way that we shared the ball offensively," Ohio Head Coach Tim O'Shea said. "We are getting everyone involved. We are not playing overly quick. We get in the half court and grind it out, so that helps us score a lot of points.
The win was Ohio's first over Cincinnati since 1971 as the Bobcats recorded their first victory over the Bearcats in the last six tries. Ohio (9-3, 0-0) used strong free-throw shooting in the win as the team made 36 trips to the stripe and hit 30 of the attempts. The Bobcats also forced 18 turnovers and scored 20 points off of turnovers while the Bearcats scored just 10 points off of 13 Ohio turnovers. The Bobcats finished the contest 22-of-52 (42.3-percent) from the floor and 5-of-20 (25-percent) from beyond the three-point arc.
Williams led the Bobcats with his second consecutive double-double as he scored a season-best 20 points on 4-of-9 shooting. He made his biggest impact at the free-throw line, where the junior Bobcat was 12-of-15. Williams also posted a game-high 12 rebounds and two blocks in the Bobcat victory. Williams has reached double figures in scoring in every game this season and has scored at least 18 points in each of the last three contests.
Junior Bubba Walther (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored 18 points in the win and added three steals and an assist. He was 4-of-11 shooting from downtown. Two other Bobcats also reached double figures as senior Whitney Davis (Ann Arbor, Mich.) scored 15 and sophomore Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) added 13. Davis added three assists and two steals in the win while Tillman posted six rebounds and two steals. It was the sixth consecutive game that Ohio has had at least four players score in double figures.
Cincinnati (9-4, 0-0) finished 26-of-55 (47.3-percent) from the floor but made just 15 trips to the free-throw line against Ohio's 36. The Bearcats shot just 2-of-15 (13.3-percent) from three-point range in the loss. John Williamson and Jamual Warren led the team with 15 points apiece while Cedric McGowan and Marvin Gentry each scored 13 on the night.
"We are not only getting to the free throw line, we are making them," O'Shea said. "We have taken well over 100 more free throws than our opponents, and we have played most of our games on the road."
The Bearcats started off to an early lead as they scored seven of the games first nine points for a 7-2 lead with less than three minutes gone by in the game. Ohio responded with a 10-0 run sparked by a lay-up from Walther to take a 12-7 lead. Walther, who had eight of the 10 points during the run, also capped off the string of 10 unanswered with a three-point shot. Walther's three with 15:53 remaining in the first half gave Ohio a 9-7 lead, a lead the Bobcats never relinquished the rest of the way.
Ohio continued to extend its lead early in the first half. A three-point play by Davis gave the Bobcats their first double-digit lead of the game at 22-11. A dunk by Williamson brought Cincinnati within nine but Ohio answered with the next five points for its biggest lead of the half at 29-15. The Bearcats cut the deficit to as little as seven with 2:26 remaining in the half but Ohio scored the final four points of the half for a 37-26 lead at the break.
Cincinnati shot 52.4-percent from the floor in the first half but tossed up eight less shots than the Bobcats. Walther and McGowan each scored 11 in the first half to lead their teams and Williams tallied 10 points for Ohio.
"Our game plan was to apply smart pressure to force turnovers," Tillman said. "Cincinnati likes to run a lot, and we just wanted to slow down the pace of the game."
The Bearcats started out the second half determined to get back in the contest as they scored the half's first six points to cut Ohio's lead to 37-32. It was the closed that Cincinnati had been since nine minutes into the game and was the closes the team would get the rest of the way. The Bobcats answered with a 7-2 run to regain a double digit lead at 44-34.
The Bearcats again clawed back to within seven but the Bobcats were up to the task yet again with a 5-0 run to take a 59-47 lead with 10:09 left in the game. Walther was instrumental in the answer as he nailed a three to give the Bobcats the 12-point lead. Ohio widened the lead to as much as 16 before winning by the final margin of 79-66.
The Bobcats face one more non-conference opponent before beginning Mid-American Conference play. Ohio will travel to Marshall on Wednesday for a 7:00 p.m. tip against the Thundering Herd. The Bobcats defeated Marshall 84-78 in overtime on Dec. 2.
