Feb. 14, 2009
Final Stats | Quotes
ATHENS, Ohio - Senior forward Jerome Tillman's 25 points led a quartet of Bobcats in double figures and the Ohio University men's basketball team shot a blazing 60.8 percent from the field on Saturday en route to a 91-58 victory over Toledo at the Convocation Center.
The Bobcats (13-11, 6-5 Mid-American Conference) set season highs for points, three-point field goals, assists and margin of victory, while their 91 points were their most since posting 94 against Buffalo on March 9, 2008. Ohio's 33-point final advantage represented its largest since March 4, 2006, when it turned in a 37-point victory over Bowling Green.
Ohio drained 14 shots from beyond the arc against Toledo, matching the fifth-best single-game total in program history, while its 25 assists equaled the sixth-best total the Bobcats have ever attained. The Bobcats started 1-of-4 from beyond the arc before connecting 13 of their last 19 attempts from long distance.
The Bobcats' defense also forced Toledo into 19 turnovers, while limiting UT to just four assists - an assist-to-turnover ratio of just 0.21 for the day.
"Honestly, that was as well as we've played for two halves all season," Ohio head coach John Groce said. "I felt like we were able to get the ball in the paint, get some inside touches and play inside-out against the zone, which led to some high-percentage shots. Our mindset was also really good for the last few days, and that led to us playing well today."
Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) made 10 of his 14 field goal attempts and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe to post his 10th 20-point game of the season and move past former Ohio great John Devereaux for ninth place on the program's career scoring list with 1,522 points to his credit.
The MAC Player of the Year candidate also became just the 10th player in school history to break the 1,500-point barrier during his tenure in Athens. In addition to his scoring outburst, Tillman also shared game-high honors with seven rebounds, while recording two assists, two steals and a block.
Senior forward Justin Orr (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted 19 points in 22 minutes on Saturday to join Tillman in double figures, as did freshman guard Steven Coleman (Melbourne, Fla.) and senior guard Michael Allen (Detroit, Mich.), who tallied 13 and 11, respectively.
Orr's 19 points, which was bolstered by a career-high five three-point field goals, were just one shy of his career high. He also registered a personal-best three steals and pulled down a game high-tying seven caroms. Coleman also had a banner day from beyond the arc, matching his personal best with three trifectas.
"I've been fortunate because my teammates have been finding me in spots where I can score," Orr said. "I've been working really hard and it feels good that the shots are going in."
The MAC leader in both assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio, Allen handed out a game-high seven dimes on Saturday, while turning the ball over just twice. The Bobcats' other two primary ballhandlers - Coleman and freshman guard Frankie Dobbs (Lakewood, Ohio) - combined for nine assists and just three miscues. Dobbs accounted for a half-dozen helpers on the afternoon, just one short of his personal best.
"Mike, Frankie and Steve are our primary ballhandlers, and when they have a 16-5 combined assist-to-turnover ratio, you can't ask for much more," Groce said. "They're making great decisions, sharing the ball and getting our guys good shots."
Toledo was forced to call a timeout at the 18:23 mark of the second half after the Bobcats reeled off seven-straight points to open the stanza, culminating when Tillman took a pass at the top of the key and knifed through the UT defense for a spinning finger roll. Ohio's run reached 10-0 on a Freeman triple before the Rockets could counter.
The Green & White put together a blistering second-half shooting performance, knocking down 70.8 percent of its attempts from the floor and 83.3 percent of its triple tries. Orr tallied 13 in the second half, while Tillman had 12 and Coleman scored 11, and Ohio's lead grew as large as 35 points as part of a 52-29 second-half drubbing.
"I think a great deal of it was movement and sharing the ball," Groce said. "I thought we moved the ball really well, kept it hopping and made it difficult for their zone to rotate. We were also able to get the ball up and down the floor today."
Tillman scored 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the opening period to pace the Bobcats to a 39-29 halftime lead, as the Green & White connected on 51.9 percent (14-of-27) of its field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes. Washington added seven on the strength of a 5-of-6 effort from the line, while Allen and Orr both chipped in with six first-half points.
Ohio will return to divisional play on Tuesday when it tips off with Kent State at 7 p.m. ET at the M.A.C. Center. Pregame coverage will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET on the Citizens Bank Ohio ISP Sports Network.
