Nov. 26, 2007
Box Score | Notes
WORCESTER, Mass.-Holy Cross senior guard Kyle Cruze hit a layup at the buzzer to hand the Ohio men's basketball squad its first loss, 62-60 at the Hart Center Monday evening. The Crusaders improved to 5-0 with the win, while the Bobcats dropped to 2-1 overall.
Ohio played without junior All-MAC forward Jerome Tillman (
Beavercreek,
Ohio
) who was held out of the contest due to a precautionary medical condition. He is expected back in the Bobcats' Thursday contest at
Temple
(7 p.m.).
The Bobcats battled back from a six-point deficit with 1:44 to go and evened the score at 60 when junior guard Michael Allen (
Detroit,
Mich.
) nailed a 3-pointer with nine seconds left to play. That set the stage for Cruze's last-second heroics.
Ohio junior forward Justin Orr (
Cincinnati,
Ohio) led the Bobcats with 18 points, while senior Leon Williams (
Baltimore,
Md.
) had his 29
th career double-double with 12 points and 10 boards. Sophomore Kenneth van Kempen paced
Ohio with four assists, while Williams and senior Bubba Walther (
Cincinnati,
Ohio
) had three steals apiece.
Holy Cross was led by 12 points apiece from senior guard Pat Doherty and junior forward Colin Cunningham, while senior center Tim Clifford had 11. Junior forward Alex Vander Baan led the Crusaders on the glass with six boards, while Doherty also posted six assists and three steals.
The Bobcats continued to excel from beyond the arc, connecting on nine of 19 3-point attempts (47.4 percent). Orr and junior guard Bert Whittington IV (
Temecula,
Calif.
) combined to go 5-for-7 from downtown.
Ohio
did, however, leave several points at the free throw line, making just 12 of 21 (52.4 percent) attempts. The Crusaders held a significant margin inside against the Bobcats, holding a 10-point edge (24-14) in points in the paint.
The game was played at a fairly moderate pace with both teams combining for just 89 total shots. For the game,
Ohio
shot 44.4 percent (20-45) from the floor, while Holy Cross made an even 50 percent (22-44).
