Box Score |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 

ATHENS, Ohio - All five starters reached double figures in scoring and Ohio shot 26-of-31 from the free throw line but a Kent State basket with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game handed the Bobcats a 73-71 loss to the Golden Flashes Saturday at the Convocation Center.

"It was just a tough loss," Head Coach Tim O'Shea said. "We did play well for a good portion of the game with that 10-point lead. I think the turnovers were what killed us. Our turnovers were what gave them the chance to win."

Ohio (17-10, 8-5) led most of the way and held an eight-point advantage with 4:50 left on the clock, but the Bobcats did not make another field goal attempt the rest of the way and were unable to score in the final 2:10 of play. A jumper by Kent State's Omni Smith in the final seconds sent Ohio away with the Mid-American Conference loss.

"I give Omni Smith all the credit in the world," O'Shea said. "He's had two game winners against us."

The Bobcats finished the contest 20-of-40 (50-percent) from the floor and shot 84-percent from the charity stripe. Ohio was 5-of-17 (29-percent) from beyond the three-point arc in the loss. The Bobcats finished with a 33-31 rebounding advantage but lost the turnover battle, 15-8. As a result, Kent State finished with a 22-7 edge in points off turnovers and also outscored Ohio 41-0 in bench points. The Flashes committed just three turnovers in the second half to Ohio's eight.

All five Ohio starters reached double figures in scoring for the 11th time this season, led by Williams and senior Sonny Troutman (Indianapolis, Ind.). Each posted 17 points while Williams grabbed seven rebounds and Troutman tallied five assists. The two combined to go 13-of-13 at the free throw line.

Senior Whitney Davis (Ann Arbor, Mich.) scored 14 points in the loss while sophomore Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) added 12 and junior Bubba Walther (Cincinnati, Ohio) chipped in 11. Tillman co-led Ohio with seven rebounds while freshman Kenneth van Kempen (Weert, the Netherlands) grabbed six rebounds off the bench for the Bobcats.

Kent State (19-9, 11-3) finished the game 28-of-61 (46-percent) from the floor and 8-of-23 from long distance. The Flashes won despite shooting just 9-of-19 from the free throw line. Smith led all scorers with 23 point while Mike Scott scored 14 points to go along with a game-best 15 rebounds.

The Bobcats scored the first four points of the contest and kept Kent State off the board until 2:57 had gone by in the game. Ohio led early by a score of 8-4 but back-to-back threes by Smith gave the Flashes their first lead of the game at 10-8.

Troutman scored nine of Ohio's first 16 points but Kent State was able to stay close as the Flashes made four of their first eight shots count for three. The two teams remained close for much of the first half as neither led by more than four points until Ohio used a 10-1 run to take a 34-25 lead with 3:22 left in the half. Walther scored five points during the run, but the Flashes finished the half on an 8-3 run to cut Ohio's lead to 37-33 heading into halftime.

The Bobcats were 9-of-16 at the break and had made 17-of-20 free throw attempts while the Flashes were just 3-of-7 at the line. Troutman and Davis each had 11 points at the half while Scott led Kent State with 11 of his own.

Ohio came out on fire in the second half and scored the first five points to take a 42-33 lead. The Bobcats extended the lead behind five-straight points from Williams for a 49-38 lead with 14:07 left in the game. It was Ohio's first double-digit lead of the game. The Flashes pulled within five but a Tillman layup and a Davis three once again gave Ohio a double-digit lead at 61-51 with 9:13 left to play.

The Bobcats maintained a comfortable lead and held a 68-60 advantage with 4:50 left on the clock. The Flashes were up to the task and used a 9-1 run to even the score at 69 with just 2:25 remaining in the game. A pair of free throws by Troutman gave Ohio a 71-69 lead with 2:10 left but it was the last time the Bobcats would score in the game. A free throw by Rodriquez Sherman tied the game at 71, setting up Smith's final second heroics to give the Flashes the 73-71 victory.

Ohio will be back in action Thursday when the Bobcats host Miami. The contest is slated for a 7:00 p.m. start time at the Convocation Center.

"By Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll be ready to regroup and we'll be ready to go on Thursday," O'Shea said. "That's how you have to be. You have to be resilient."