Dec. 6, 2009
Final Stats
TULSA, Okla. - The Ohio men's basketball team staged a furious second-half rally, but time eventually took its toll as the Bobcats fell to Tulsa 81-80 Sunday afternoon at Reynolds Center. The Golden Hurricane improved to 7-1 overall with the win, while Ohio dropped to 4-2.
Tulsa got double-doubles from Steven Idlet (career-high 18 points and 16 rebounds) and Ben Uzoh (20 points, 10 rebounds), while Justin Hurtt added 21 points on a career-high eight field goals. Seven-footer Jerome Jordan posted six blocks in the paint.
Ohio boasted six players in double-figures, led by Jay Kinney's (Champaign, Ill.) 15 points, all of which came on second-half 3-pointers. Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.) added 14, while DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) chipped in 13. Point guard D.J. Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) finished with a team-high four assists, and Kenneth van Kempen (Weert, Netherlands) snared seven rebounds.
Tulsa twice took 10-point leads in the first half, but Ohio clawed its way back several times in the first stanza to keep the margin at a one-possession game. The Golden Hurricane held a 33-28 lead at the break.
The Bobcats got 10 points and five rebounds in the first half from van Kempen. Ohio did a masterful job on the defensive end, hounding the Golden Hurricane on the perimeter for the entire half. Tulsa committed 12 turnovers and yielded four steals to the Green and White. Ohio surrendered just four first half miscues.
Ohio was outrebounded 19-16 in the first half, but did crash the boards for nine on the offensive end. Neither team shot the ball well from outside, combining for a 2-for-14 clip from beyond the 3-point arc.
Tulsa's Idlet led all scorers with 10 points and nine rebounds in the first 20 minutes, while the Golden Hurricane also had some defensive success with six first-half blocks. Tulsa shot 61.1 percent (11-18) in the first half, compared to Ohio's 31.4 percent (11-35).
A pair of Ivo Baltic freebies cut the Golden Hurricane lead to three early in the second half. Tulsa responded with an 11-4 run to build its lead to 10, but the Green and White came roaring back to take a 52-50 lead on a triple from Kinney with 11:25 left.
Tulsa would not roll over though and took a 64-57 lead with 6:35 left. Ohio continued to fight and cut the lead to 72-70 after a pair of Cooper free throws with 1:32 left.
The action got wild from there as the Golden Hurricane went up by five with 27 seconds left, before Kinney knocked down a trey just five seconds later to make it 79-77. Tulsa then hit a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left after the `Cats were forced to foul. Coleman knocked down a huge three with a second left, but Ohio was unable to get a steal and make a play, and the Golden Hurricane snuck away with the win.
The Bobcats finished the game, committing just eight turnovers, while forcing the hosts into 18. Tulsa made up for most of that by virtue of its 10 blocks, to Ohio's none.
The Green and White will return home Wednesday, Dec. 9, as it plays host to Austin Peay. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in the Convo.
