Jan. 2, 2010

Final Stats

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa.-Ohio’s D.J. Cooper and Jay Kinney combined for 47 points Saturday evening but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Bobcats fell to Robert Morris 81-79 at Sewall Center. The Colonials improved to 6-7 overall and Ohio dipped to 8-5.

Cooper, the MAC’s leader in steals, recorded 22 points, eight assists and six thefts, while Kinney nailed six of his seven 3-point attempts on his way to a game-high 25 points on 9-11 shooting from the floor. Kenneth van Kempen had 11 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Armon Bassett notched 10 points and five assists.

RMU was led by Karon Abraham, who went 6-7 from 3-point range himself, with 23 points, while Rob Robinson had 21 points and six rebounds. Point guard Velton Jones contributed 10 of RMU’s 18 assists.

The Bobcats got off to a sluggish start once again, falling behind by 16 (22-6) seven and a half minutes into the game on a free throw by RMU’s Mezie Nwigwe at the 12:30 mark. Ohio gradually ground the lead down over the next nine minutes, 27 seconds and tied the affair at 33 when Cooper nailed all three free throws after he was fouled on a long-range attempt.

Ohio took its first lead of the game five minutes, six seconds into the second half with van Kempen made one of two free throws at the 14:54 mark to put the Bobcats up 48-47. The lead grew to as many as six (56-50) when Cooper completed a three-point play at the 12:33 mark . RMU then made the decisive run of the game, a 14-2 spurt over the contest’s next four minutes, 34 seconds when Dallas Green’s jumper put the Colonials up 64-58.

The Bobcats later tied the game at 74 on a pair of van Kempen charity tosses with 2:19 left, but Abraham posted five of the team’s seven points during the Colonials’ stretch run.

A crucial moment came in the final seconds of the game when the Bobcats, down two with 13 seconds left, rebounded an RMU 3-point attempt. Ohio then pushed the ball up the floor, but Cooper’s game-tying pull-up free throw line jumper was waved off after he was ruled to have pushed off before shooting.

Both teams shot well from the 3-point line, as Ohio made 10 of 22 attempts (45.5 percent) and RMU made nine of 15 shots (60 percent). The Colonials outrebounded Ohio 41-28 (18-6 on the offensive glass) and held a 20-9 and 17-2 edge in points off turnovers and second chance points, respectively.

Due to Kinney’s efforts, Ohio had a 31-11 edge off the bench.

Ohio will be back in action Wednesday at 7 p.m. against IUPUI in Conseco Fieldhouse.