Dec. 22, 2010
Final Stats | Quotes
ATHENS, Ohio - A pre-Christmas clash in The Convo saw Ohio fall to fellow 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Temple on Wednesday evening, 76-65. DeVaughn Washington scored a season-high 20 points to pace three Bobcats in double figures, while D.J. Cooper tallied 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
The 'Cats (6-6) and the Owls (9-2) fought back-and-forth for the entire contest, but Temple got 32 points from its bench and shot 42 percent from beyond the arc, finishing 8-of-19 overall. Six three-pointers came in the first half when Temple scored a season-high 40 points.
Ohio shot 41 percent for the game and connected on 75 percent of its free throws (12 for 16). However, the three-point shooting failed the Green & White on this particular evening as the team only connected on 3-of-15 tries from beyond the arc.
"We just need to step up and make some more shots," Cooper said. "All of the perimeter (players) need to step up, hit some shots and be confident. That will make it easier for the bigs to finish around the basket and get easier buckets."
Washington turned in perhaps his best game of the season with his game-high 20 points to go with five rebounds. Cooper's 13 joined him in double digits, while Ivo Baltic chipped in 12 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds. T.J. Hall earned the start and did not disappoint with seven points, three rebounds and three assists.
Four quick points from Washington, including a dunk off a fast-break feed from Cooper staked the `Cats to an early 6-2 lead. Temple fought back to take a one-point advantage, setting off a battle over the next couple minutes that saw both sides trading one-point leads during a stretch that saw seven lead changes. An old-fashioned three-point play from Lavoy Allen gave Temple a 21-17 advantage with 11:26 left in the first half.
Action remained close over the next few minutes as Washington and Cooper helped keep Ohio within four at 31-27 with six minutes left, before back-to-back treys from the Owls' Khalif Wyatt sparked a 7-0 run to give Temple an 11-point lead. The `Cats scored a couple buckets to pull within 40-33 going into the locker room.
A hot start from Temple helped the Owls extend their lead to 13 at the start of the second half, before the `Cats came roaring back with an 8-0 run to pull back within five at 46-41 with 15:30 left. Ohio was unable to pull any closer as Temple took advantage of an 11-4 run to go back ahead by double figures. A Baltic three-point play brought the Green and White to within nine, before the Owls extended the lead to 61-48 with 9:03 left.
The Green & White continued to battle and pulled within six at 61-55 after a pair of Washington freebies with 7:11 left. However, Temple pushed the lead back up to 13 with just over four minutes left.
Rahlir Jefferson led three Owls in double figures with a team-high 18 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Ramone Moore chipped in 17 points, four rebounds and four assists. Khalif Wyatt added a career-high 14 points (12 in the first half), while Allen pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds. Juan Fernandez also added seven points, a career-high nine assists and four steals.
"We've got to find a way to fix some things, and I think when we do we'll be a lot more consistent with our play," Head Coach John Groce said. "We still have some time before MAC play starts. We've got two very important home games when these guys get back from the break. It's good for them to get away for a few days too, to rest their bodies a little and get their minds right. We'll get back from the holidays, attack this thing and keep getting better."
Ohio will return to The Convo on Thursday, December 30 to take on Norfolk State. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
