Dec. 22, 2009
Final Stats
PITTSBURGH, Penn- The Bobcats fell to the Panthers by a final score of 74â€"49 on Tuesday in the Keystone State. Freshman D.J. Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) grabbed a career-high five steals for the Bobcats while also picking up four offensive rebounds. Ohio won the turnover battle by a comfortable margin, forcing the Panthers into 21 turnovers while only committing 11. The team has now ended up on the positive side of that category during all of the games in the 2009-10 season.
Pittsburgh shot nearly 56 percent from the floor on Tuesday, scoring 36 of its 74 points in the paint.
Armon Bassett led the Bobcats (7-4) with 12 points, also adding one assist and three rebounds. Kenneth van Kempen led the team in rebounding, grabbing two offensive boards and five defensive for a total of seven.
The game got off to a rough start for the Bobcats, as the host Panthers (10-2) began quickly out of the gate, hitting at a high percentage from the floor to leap out to an early 20-3 lead.
The Green and White fought hard after the initial early deficit, refusing to allow such a large margin to separate the teams at halftime. Three-pointers by Bassett (Terre Haute, Ind.) Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.) helped cut the margin substantially, putting the score at 26-13. Two free throws by Kenneth van Kempen (Weert, Netherlands) further cut the margin with six minutes remaining in the first half.
The Bobcats were able to head into the locker room facing a 14 point deficit. They cut the lead as low as nine at one point, but the Panthers were able to put together a run near the end of the half.
Pittsburgh tried to get off to another fast start in the first half, as Nasir Robinson and Ashton Gibbs each came out with an early bucket, but Ohio’s DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) was able to break up the early momentum by driving down the lane for a layup.
The Panthers continued their strong play into the second half, outscoring the Bobcats 36-25. Gibbs led his team by scoring 15 points, as Jermaine Dixon was not far behind with his 14. Brad Wanamaker and Dante Taylor each pulled down ten rebounds.
The Bobcats will have a few days off before they welcome the Elon Phoenix to The Convocation Center on Tuesday, December 29. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
