Jan. 19, 2011
Box Score
Bowling Green, Ohio - Ohio dropped its third MAC game in four outings this season with a 73-61 loss at Bowling Green this evening. In what could be their final game at Anderson Arena, the Bobcats dropped their fourth-straight in the building.
The Bobcats (8-10, 1-3) never led by more than one, allowed 32 points in the paint and committed 17 turnovers. D.J. Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) led Ohio with 18 points and also contributed four rebounds and four assists. Nick Kellogg (Westerville, Ohio) added 13, Ivo Baltic (Kansas City, Mo.) had 11 with a team-high seven rebounds and Tommy Freeman (Muncie, Ind.) chipped in with 10 points and three rebounds.
Scott Thomas scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead BG as the Falcons (8-10, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) shot 48.1 percent from the floor (13-of-27) in the opening half, including 4-of-7 from three-point range (57.1 percent) to take a 34-29 lead at halftime.
Bowling Green increased its lead in the second half, converting 14-of-26 from the field (53.8 percent) and hitting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line. A'uston Calhoun scored 15 points and Luke Kraus added 12 for the Falcons, who have won five of their last six games. Torain Oglesby added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
The Falcons scored the first two buckets of the game and built a 15-8 lead in the first six minutes behind eight from Calhoun. Ohio took its only lead of the game on a Baltic three-point play with 9:59 left and then tied it at 20-20 on a Kellogg three-pointer with 7:41 left. But Thomas answered with a three and a jumper, followed by an Oglesby lay-up before Baltic laid one in on Ohio's last offensive possession to cut the deficit to 34-29 at the break.
Ohio connected o 46 percent of its shots in the first half and was even with the Falcons in rebounding. However, nine turnovers and a 10-point differential on points in the paint hurt the Green & White. Ohio received 17 points from its bench, eight coming from Freeman who led all Bobcat scorers at the intermission.
Bowling Green opened the second half on fire as Kraus hit a pair of three-pointers for a 44-33 lead but Ohio chipped away and eventually got within one point at 56-55 with 7:51 to go. With Anderson Arena rocking, DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored his first bucket and Cooper drilled a three-ball to slice the lead to 46-41.
Thomas converted a fast-break dunk to push the lead back to nine and once again, Ohio fell behind by double-figures. Out of a timeout, Kellogg nailed three free throws and Washington knocked home two more. After the senior big man scored inside once more, a trap in the corner led to a layup by Freeman that made it a one-possession game with 9:51 on the clock.
Some solid defense again by the Bobcats led to a Baltic conversion at the other end which made it a one-point game with 7:07 showing on the scoreboard. The Bobcats had two opportunities to take the lead but turned the ball over both times and the Falcons scored six in a row to open the lead up again.
Calhoun scored on a jumper, followed by a resounding alley-oop from Crawford at midcourt which led to another Oglesby dunk. During that stretch, Ohio had three turnovers and missed a pair of three-pointers. Meanwhile, the Falcons made their final six shots and went 5-of-5 at the free-throw line.
Ohio hosts Buffalo as part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader at the Convocation Center on Saturday. The men play Buffalo at 3 p.m. with the game being televised nationally on ESPNU, with the women following at 7 p.m. against Western Michigan.
