Nov. 27, 2010

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - D.J. Cooper scored 29 points and Nick Kellogg hit the go-ahead 3-pointer in the right corner with 1:01 left to lift Ohio over Santa Clara 78-72 at the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday.

Kellogg finished with a career-high 14 points while Cooper was 12 of 12 from the free-throw line, including 4 of 4 in the final 26 seconds for the Bobcats (4-2).

Ohio ended the game on a 12-2 run past Santa Clara (4-3) in the final 2:39. This was the first meeting all-time between the two programs as the Green & White came out victorious.

T.J. Hall added a career-high 15 points and six steals off the bench for the Bobcats. Ivo Baltic had eight points and matched his career-high with nine rebounds. Marc Trasolini led Santa Clara with 19 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Foster and Raymond Cowels III each added 10 points for the Broncos.

Ohio shot 42.3 percent (22 of 52) from the field, including 38.1 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 21). The Bobcats collected 32 rebounds, nine assists, nine steals and four blocks. They shot 86.7 percent from the free throw line (26 of 30) with 11 turnovers.

Santa Clara shot 43.6 percent (24 of 55) from the field, including 34.8 percent from beyond the arc (8 of 23). The Broncos collected 37 rebounds, 14 assists, four steals and two blocks. They shot 66.7 percent from the free throw line (16 of 24) with 14 turnovers.

In the first half, the two teams traded baskets in the first minute and Baltic hit two free throws at 16:19 to put Ohio ahead 4-2. Santa Clara went up 11-6 on back-to-back lay-ups by John McArthur and Trasolini. Timeout Bobcats.

DeVaughn Washington hit two free throws and Baltic answered with a lay-up at 11:27,  but the 'Cats still trailed 16-10. Cooper then helped produce a 9-2 run for the Bobcats when Santa Clara converted a four-point play to push the lead back to 25-19. 

After Baltic hit a put-back, SC hit another three. However, the Bobcats went on an 8-2 run before Evan Roquemore sank two free throws with 27.4 second left to put the Broncos up 34-29. Kellogg sank a three at the buzzer and the halftime score was 34-32.

Ohio shot 37.5 percent (9 of 24) from the field, including 22.2 percent from beyond the arc (2 of 9). The Bobcats collected 16 rebounds, two assists, four steals and four blocks. They shot 92.3 percent from the free throw line (12 of 13) with eight turnovers.

In the second half, Cooper gave Ohio a brief lead with a three, but Trasolini hit his own and then Foster hit a jumper to make it 39-35 at 18:38. Cooper hit two free throws then Hall hit a three to put Ohio within two at 16:42 and then Cooper hit a three to give Ohio the lead.

The Bobcats went on a 13-2 run from over a four-minute stretch before Santa Clara called timeout with Ohio leading 48-44. The Broncos then went on a 7-0 run before Hall responded with a three to tie it up 51-51. The two traded baskets and Cooper hit a three to give Ohio the lead again at 11:04.

The teams continued to trade baskets. After a technical foul was called on Reggie Keely, Foster sank two free throws and then an additional free throw put the Broncos ahead 61-60 at 8:39. Cooper hit a bucket and then Dowdell sank a free throw to tie it up 64-64 at 7:20.

After an Ohio timeout, a charge put Cooper on the bench with his fourth foul. Another charge on the next offensive possession gave Hall his fourth foul at 3:59.

The Bobcats hit three of four free throws to pull within one at 2:12, before Kellogg buried a trifecta at 1:01 to put Ohio up 72-70. A Santa Clara three clanged off the rim and Trasolini was whistled for his fifth foul with 26.2 seconds left. Cooper sank both free-throw attempts to put the Bobcats up by four. Leading by two, 74-72, Cooper was immediately fouled and he hit both to put Ohio up by four at 20.7. Hall recorded his fourth steal and added an exclamation-point dunk to give the Bobcats a 78-72 win.

Ohio hosts Marshall next Saturday, December 4, at 2 p.m.