Feb. 26, 2009

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes

Senior forward Jerome Tillman attempted four free throws in the first half, giving him 205 free throw attempts this season, which vaults him into ninth place on the single-season free throw attempts ledger, passing Leon Williams (2005-06) and Sanjay Adell (1999-00). He finished with five free throw attempts giving him 206 this season.

Tillman scored 13 points in the game, extending his double-figure scoring streak to 32-straight games, including all 27 this season. It was his 88th-career double-figure scoring game. His seven rebounds led Ohio, marking the 20th time this year he's done so.

Ohio went 7-of-8 in the first half from 3-point land for a first-half season-best 87.5 percent. The seven triples also tied a first-half season high. From the field overall, the Bobcats shot a first-half season best 62.5 percent (15-of-24), with the 15 field goals tying a first-half high.

Three Bobcats didn't miss a shot in the first half, senior forward Justin Orr (4-of-4), sophomore guard Tommy Freeman (3-of-3) and freshman guard Steven Coleman (5-of-5), with all three making both their 3-point attempts. For the game, five of seven Bobcats who had multiple shot attempts shot better than 50 percent.

A tightly-contested first half featured five lead changes and six ties. Ohio held a four-point halftime lead and improved to 10-3 this year when leading at the break. The Bobcats never trailed in the second half.

Freshman guard Steven Coleman tied a career high with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep. He led Ohio in scoring for just the second time in his career with the other coming Nov. 22, 2008 at Austin Peay. It was also just his second-career 20-point game, but the 12th time he's reached double digits. His three 3-pointers tied a career high, as did his four free throw makes.

Senior guard Michael Allen scored 10 points, the 10th time this year he's reached that plateau this year, including four of his last five games, and the 12th time in his career. He also handed out a game-high five assists, leading Ohio in that stat for the 20th time this year.

Senior forward Justin Orr tallied 13 points in the game, the 15th time this year he's reached at least 10 points and sixth time in his last eight games. He's now reached double digits 23 times in his career at Ohio.

Sophomore guard Tommy Freeman chipped in 10 points, the ninth time this year he's reached double figures and the 11th time in his career.

Ohio made 10 3-pointers in the game, giving the team 183 trifectas this season, which ranks ninth on the all-time single-season 3-pointers made list.

The Bobcats committed a season-low six turnovers in the game, including just two in the final 20 minutes, tying a single-half low this year. Miami managed just one steal in the game, a Bobcat opponent season low, and has just two assists in the second half, a single-half low for an Ohio foe.

Ohio limited Miami to just 10 points over the first 15 minutes of the second half on just three field goals. The RedHawks managed just 19 points in the second half on six field goals. The 19 second-half points are the fewest by a Bobcat opponent in any half this year, while their 28.6 percent shooting in the second stanza was a second-half season low for an Ohio opponent. Miami went 0-for-6 in the second half from behind the arc, which was the worst 3-point shooting in a half this year for a Bobcat foe.

The Bobcats had five double figures scorers (Orr, Tillman, Allen, Freeman, Coleman) against Miami, the first time they've done so this year and the first time since March 18, 2008 against Brown.

Ohio held their opponent's leading scorer, in this case Miami's Michael Bramos, below his season average for the fourth-straight game. Bramos came in averaging 16.8 ppg and was held slightly under at 16 points for the contest, including just two in the second half.

With the win, Ohio earned its first season sweep of the RedHawks since the 1999-2000 season and won all three games between men's basketball and football against Miami for the first time since the 1988-89 school year. During that year, however, Miami had to forfeit a basketball game they had won due to an ineligible player. The last time the Bobcats outright swept Miami in both men's basketball and football in the same season was the 1963-64 campaign.

The 19-point win was Ohio's largest over Miami since a 24-point win Jan. 19, 2002 in Athens. The Bobcats have now won three-straight over the RedHawks in Athens and hold a 95-88 edge all-time in the Battle of the Bricks.

Ohio improves to 8-2 when the final margin of victory is between 11 and 20 points.

The 'Cats have now won 25 of their last 27 games in The Convo, including 13 of their last 15 MAC games.