Dec. 5, 2007
Box Score | Quotes | Notes
ATHENS, Ohio - Ohio sank 12 of its first 14 shots, including eight-straight, to open the second half and used the run to defeat St. Bonaventure 77-58 on Wednesday night at the Convocation Center.
The teams went back and forth in the first half, mixing hot and cold streaks that resulted in a 35-33 Ohio lead at halftime. But the Bobcats (4-2), led by Justin Orr's (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Allen Hester's (Oakland, Calif.) team-high 13 points each, shot 62.1 percent in the second half and held the Bonnies (2-4) to just 36.4 percent shooting and 25 points after the break to win their second-straight contest.
Ohio won 67-63 on the road against St. Francis (N.Y.) on Sunday.
Hester, in his first game at home in a Bobcat uniform, scored six points in just six minutes of playing time in the first half and finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. The junior transfer from Ohlone Junior College also recorded two assists and one rebound.
The victory gave the Bobcats 18 straight non-conference home triumphs, with wins this season against St. Bonaventure, Cornell and New Mexico State.
Leon Williams (Baltimore, Md.) led all players with 10 rebounds and added nine points, just one shy of the 30th double-double of his career.
Bubba Walther, who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday, chipped in 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including two 3-pointers. The senior also led the Bobcats with six assists, including two back-to-back feeds during Ohio's run to start the second half which resulted in a Williams lay-up and a Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek) alley-oop dunk.
Tillman had eight points and nine rebounds.
Michael Lee led the Bonnies - and all scorers - with 17 points and D'Lancy Carter pulled in a team-high four rebounds. Ohio posted a 33-17 advantage on the glass in its fourth victory of the season.
St. Bonaventure had the advantage on turnovers (19-22) and fouls (16-17) but could not turn those small advantages into points down the stretch. The Bonnies return home to play host to Albany on Saturday.
Ohio welcomes Delaware to the Convocation Center on Saturday afternoon for "Fan Appreciation Day." All tickets cost just 25 cents and tip-off is set for 2 p.m. It will be Ohio's last home game until Jan. 12.
