Dec. 30, 2008
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ATHENS, Ohio - Senior forward Jerome Tillman registered his fifth double-double of the season and four Bobcat starters scored in double figures on Tuesday, as the Ohio University men's basketball team charged to a 70-53 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) at the Convocation Center.
The Bobcats (6-6) held a 34-27 advantage on the glass and limited St. Francis to just 26.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc en route to their second-straight victory. The win also improved Ohio's non-conference home winning streak, a run that began on Nov. 29, 2004, to 25 games.
"I thought our defense really ignited everything tonight," Ohio head coach John Groce said. "I commend our guys for an unbelievable effort on the defensive end. We played like we've been practicing, and as a coach, that's all you can ask. We demanded a lot of our players after the holiday, and I'm glad they got to see the fruits of their labors tonight."
Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) posted a team-high 19 points and a game-high 12 boards, marking the 23rd double-double of his career and the 17th-consecutive outing in which he has scored in double figures. He made 6-of-8 shots from the floor and all six of his free throw attempts on the evening, moving him within six points of tying Kirk Lehman for 17th on Ohio's career scoring list (1,297).
In addition to his double-double, Tillman also equaled his career high with four steals and matched his season best with a quartet of assists in 33 minutes of action.
"We were getting stops tonight and I just let the game come to me," Tillman said. "Guys are really buying into the system, and we're gaining confidence. We just want to keep getting better and work toward our goal of playing our best basketball at the end of the season."
Senior forward Justin Orr (Cincinnati, Ohio) and sophomore guard Tommy Freeman (Muncie, Ind.) both knocked down three shots from beyond the arc on Monday to finish with 11 points apiece, while senior guard Michael Allen (Detroit, Mich.) netted 10 points to mark his first double-digit scoring output since Dec. 6.
Allen and freshman guard Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.) shared game-high honors with five assists each, propelling the Bobcats to 18 helpers on their 24 field goals in the victory.
"We made the extra pass tonight as well as we have all year," Groce said. "There are times out there when we're really starting to get in sync, and we're starting to see carryover from game to game."
The Bobcats got off to a quick start after the opening tip, scoring the game's first eight points and holding St. Francis scoreless until the 15:47 mark of the half, forcing four turnovers during that stretch. Tillman found Allen for a three-point bucket from the wing with 6:48 left in the period, pushing Ohio's lead to 24-11 and forcing the Terriers to burn their second timeout of the half. Less than a minute eclipsed on the game clock before St. Francis asked for another 30-second stoppage, as Coleman linked up with a streaking Tillman for a transition layup that extended the advantage to 29-11. The Bobcats' run would reach 14-0, giving them a 33-11 lead, before the Terriers were able to answer, and the Green & White would end the half on a 22-10 spurt that provided them with a 41-21 lead at the break.
Led by eight points apiece on a combined 8-of-13 shooting from Allen, Freeman and Tillman, Ohio ripped off field goal percentages of 56.0 from the floor and 71.4 from beyond the arc in the first half. Washington, Coleman and Orr each added five in a balanced first-half offensive performance by the Bobcats.
Ohio limited the Terriers to just 28.0 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, including a 16.7 percent mark from long distance, while also enjoying a 21-12 advantage on the backboards. The Bobcats' 21 total rebounds, led by eight from Tillman and three from Orr, also marked a season first-half high.
The Green & White continued to run at the outset of the second half, reeling off a 13-3 streak to open the period and force St. Francis into an early timeout after the lead grew to a game-high 30 points at 54-24.
Ohio will be back in action on Saturday afternoon, when it welcomes Bucknell to The Convo in its last tune-up before the start of Mid-American Conference play. Pregame coverage will begin on the Citizens Bank Ohio ISP Sports Network at 1:30 p.m. ET, with tip-off slated for 2 p.m.
