Jan. 3, 2009
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ATHENS, Ohio - Senior forward Jerome Tillman scored a career-high 28 points and senior guard Michael Allen matched his personal best with nine assists on Saturday as the Ohio University men's basketball team defeated Bucknell, 85-67, to win its third-straight game and extend its non-conference home winning streak to 26 contests.
The Bobcats' 85 points were a season high, as were its 21 assists - which came on a season-best 31 field goals - and 41 rebounds. Ohio (7-6) dominated down low on Saturday, winning the points-in-the-paint battle by a count of 41-31 and earning a 41-38 edge on the boards.
"I was really thrilled with the way our team played for the majority of the game," Ohio head coach John Groce said. "We came out ready to play at the very beginning of the game. Any time you can get 20-plus assists, it means your playing unselfishly and with great chemistry. I'm happy that our guys are beginning to see the by-product of how hard they work in practice. They're getting into the type of comfort zone that allows players to be more successful."
Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) had a monster day for the Bobcats, making 10 of his 16 shots from the floor and all eight of his attempts from the free throw line en route to a career-best 28 points. The preseason All-MAC selection's scoring output was also the highest by an Ohio player since Leon Williams netted 30 against Buffalo on March 9, 2008, a span of 16 games.
In addition to his huge day on the offensive end, Tillman also led all players with 15 rebounds, just two shy of matching his career high, and handed out three assists in 32 minutes of work. In the Bobcats' two victories this week, Tillman averaged 23.5 points on 66.7 percent shooting, 13.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while also going 14-of-14 from the charity stripe.
"I just wanted to open up the post and be the inside presence that we needed," Tillman said. "Mike (Allen) did a great job of picking his spots. I think we have a tremendous point guard who makes great decisions with the basketball that really help our team."
Ohio also got a lift on Saturday from freshman guard Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.), who nailed 5-of-7 shots from the field, including a career-best three triples, to finish with 17 points. The rookie was also 4-of-5 from the line and snagged three rebounds in the victory.
Senior guard Justin Orr (Cincinnati, Ohio) also reached double figures on the afternoon, collecting 10 points and three assists, while a quartet of Bobcats - senior guard Michael Allen (Detroit, Mich.), junior center Kenneth van Kempen (Weert, The Netherlands), sophomore guard Tommy Freeman (Muncie, Ind.) and sophomore forward DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) - each contributed six points to the victory.
Allen was once again the catalyst of a productive offensive day for the Green & White, as his career high-tying nine assists came against no turnovers. As a team, the Bobcats tied their season low with just seven miscues, while all but one player who saw double-figure minutes registered at least one assist.
The Bobcats took a 13-12 lead near the 11-minute mark of the first half on a Tillman layup, a bucket that sparked a 7-0 Bobcats run that put the Green & White in front by a count of 18-12. The Bobcats embarked on another 7-0 run at the 7:34 mark of the period when van Kempen connected on a long jumper, grabbing a 28-20 lead before the Bison were able to answer. Tillman and van Kempen both added buckets late in the frame, and Ohio was able to head into the break with a 37-31 lead despite a 5-0 Bucknell run to end the half.
Tillman led all players in both points and rebounds in the first, finishing with 10 and seven, respectively, while Orr, van Kempen and Coleman each chipped in with a half dozen. The Bobcats shot a steamy 46.7 percent (7-of-15) from beyond the arc in the first half, while holding Bucknell to a just 33.3 percent (4-of-12) from deep in the first 20 minutes.
Ohio kicked off the second half with a 9-3 run, fueled by four points apiece from Orr and Tillman, that increased its lead to 46-34 and prompted a Bucknell timeout after just 2:25 had run off the clock. After a three-point play from Tillman pushed the Bobcats out in front by 15 points, 49-34, with just over 16 minutes remaining, Ohio's lead didn't fall below double figures for the remainder of the game.
"I would like to have defended the three a little better, but our 37 percent opponent field goal percentage was indicative of the emphasis that we put on defense over the last week," Groce said. "We're getting better every day. We're not where we need to be right now, but that's not the plan. I feel like we're getting better each day in practice, and we're also getting better each time we play."
The Bobcats will be idle for a week before kicking off Mid-American Conference play at home against defending regular-season and tournament champions Kent State on Jan. 11. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. ET, with pregame coverage to begin on the Citizens Bank Ohio ISP Sports Network at 1:30 p.m. ET.
