Jan. 12, 2011
ATHENS, Ohio - Nick Kellogg's career-high 23 points led four Ohio players in double figures as the 'Cats won their first MAC game of the season, 79-70 at Akron.
The rematch of last year's MAC Tournament Championship ended with the same result as the Green & White earned the win, their first at Akron since 2002. The affair saw three technical fouls called, two on Akron and one on Oho.
Kellogg finished 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc en route to his career high. D.J. Cooper finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and tied a Rhodes Arena record with 15 assists. It was the sophomore's fifth double-double of the season and 11th of his career.
Tommy Freeman added 16 points, going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and passing Geno Ford for fourth all-time in three-pointers made. He now sits only 34 away from the Ohio all-time record.
DeVaughn Washington chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds as he and the rest of the Ohio big men combined for 26 points in the paint and limited reigning MAC Player of the Week Zeke Marshall to nine points and Akron's leading scorer Nikola Cvetinovic to seven points.
As a team, Ohio shot a blistering 52.9 percent from the floor and connected on 13 of its 25 three-point tries. In both halves, the team shot over 50 percent from the field and after hitting six three's in the first half, it hit seven in the second.
Ohio jumped out to a 9-2 lead on buckets by Cooper, Freeman, Ivo Baltic and Asown Sayles before Akron scored its first field goal at the 14:04 mark.
Leading 19-16, Ohio went on a 7-0 run getting four points from Washington and a three from Cooper to push the lead to double figures. After T.J. Hall connected on his only bucket of the night, Akron hit a three of its own to trim the lead to 29-21.
However, the Bobcats closed the half with an 8-0 run on threes by Kellogg and Freeman and a buzzer-beating layup from Reggie Keely. In the first half, Ohio shot 51.9 percent and limited Akron to 28.6 shooting. The 'Cats were also 6-of-11 from beyond the arc as opposed to the Zips' 1-of-6.
Freeman led all scorers with nine while Washington added six and Cooper chipped in with seven and 10 assists. Akron had only one player score more than one field goal in the stanza (Brett McKnight - 2).
Leading 37-21 coming out of halftime, Ohio allowed Akron to go on an 8-0 run before getting two free throws from Washington. Leading 39-30, Kellogg found his rhythm connecting on four-consecutive three-pointers and asking the Green & White to a 51-36 lead with 12:26 remaining.
After the teams traded buckets, Marshall was called for an intentional foul after elbowing Freeman in the face. This triggered a 9-0 run capped by a Baltic layup that gave Ohio it's largest lead of the night at 62-38 with 8:55 showing on the clock.
Akron would eventually chip the lead down to eight at 74-66 with 1:44 remaining but could get no closer.
Ohio continues MAC play this weekend when it hosts the defending MAC regular-season champion Kent State. The contest is part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader in The Convo on Saturday with the men tipping off at 7 p.m. against the Golden Flashes.
