Dec. 7, 2008
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Senior forward Jerome Tillman scored a game-high 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds against 11th-ranked Louisville on Sunday, but the Ohio University men's basketball team was handed a 91-56 defeat by the host Cardinals at the Marques Maybin Classic.
"Louisville came at us with a lot depth and really shot the ball well," Ohio head coach John Groce said. "You really have to pick your poison when facing a team with players of their caliber. We were more consistent than we were yesterday, and we once again played the full 40 minutes. It's difficult to stay locked in when there's a point differential like there was today, but we looked them in the eye and I thought we were better today than we were yesterday. We're a work in progress right now, and we have to continue to get better every day."
Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) knocked down 6-of-12 shots from the floor and 8-of-11 from the free throw line to post his fourth-consecutive game with at least 20 points, and pace the Bobcats (3-3) in scoring for the fifth time in six games this season. The 21-point performance also moved Tillman into a tie with Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame member Bunk Adams for 21st place on the program's career scoring list with 1,196 tallies.
His seven rebounds were a team high, and he also added a pair of assists in 32 minutes of work.
Freshman guards Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.) and Frankie Dobbs (Lakewood, Ohio) also had big days for the Bobcats, combining for 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Coleman led the duo in the scoring column with eight points while also recording a career-best three steals, while Dobbs chipped in with six points and corralled a career-high five rebounds. The rookie backcourt mates shared team-high honors with five assists apiece, a personal best for Dobbs.
Ohio also got eight points from sophomore guard Tommy Freeman (Muncie, Ind.) and five from senior forward Justin Orr (Cincinnati, Ohio), while the latter added three rebounds and two assists to his line on Sunday. Orr gave the Green & White a brief 12-10 lead early in the first half after connecting on the first of Ohio's five three-point buckets on the afternoon.
The Bobcats will look to end their two-game skid on Monday when they wrap up the Marques Maybin Classic against Missouri Valley Conference foe Indiana State. Tip-off is slated for 4:30 p.m. ET, and pregame coverage will start 30 minutes prior to the action on the Citizens Bank Ohio ISP Sports Network.
