Jan. 22, 2011
Final Stats | Quotes | Dads Weekend - Ohio MBB vs. Buffalo 
ATHENS, Ohio - The largest crowd of the 2010-11 season was treated to a tale of two halves as Buffalo mounted a furious comeback during the second stanza to put a damper on the day's events with a 73-68 win Saturday afternoon in the Convo.
Nick Kellogg (Westerville, Ohio) and DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) each scored 14 points to pace Ohio, who shot 46 percent from the field. Ivo Baltic (Kansas City, Mo.) chipped in 10 points, while D.J. Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) dished out eight assists to go with five rebounds and six points. Kellogg finished 4-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Zach Filzen scored 20 of his game-high 23 points after halftime as the Bulls overcame an 18-point Bobcat lead at the half to steal the win.
A pair of Kellogg threes helped the `Cats jump out to an 8-4 lead just over four minutes into play. A 10-3 Ohio run, capped off by a pair of Washington free throws and a Hall lay-in off a fast break extended the Green and White lead to 11 points with 13:53 left in the first half. Ohio knocked down six of its first seven attempts from the field.
The `Cats cooled slightly, but still managed to keep their lead at nine points with just under eight minutes left in the half. The Bulls were never able to get any closer than seven through the next few minutes of play, before Ohio ended the half on a 14-3 run to take a 43-25 lead into the locker room.
Ten different Bobcats got on the scoreboard in the opening period as the Green and White ended the half shooting just under 52 percent from the field while feasting off Buffalo turnovers, scoring 16 points off 13 Bull miscues. Kellogg sizzled from distance, knocking down 4-of-4 to lead the `Cats with 12 points in the frame. Sayles chipped in six, while Freeman added five. Cooper finished the half with six assists.
Ohio's defense was solid over the first 20 minutes of play, holding Buffalo to just 30 percent shooting from the field and a 12 percent clip from beyond the arc to go with the 13 turnovers.
The Bulls came out charging out of the intermission and cut the lead to 10 with 17 minutes left. A two-hand slam from Washington put the `Cats back up by 14. Ohio still could not shake Buffalo as a Filzen trey and a Javon McCrea bucket cut the Green and White advantage to six as part of an 18-6 Bull burst over the first 8:13 of the second half.
Buffalo continued to scratch and claw and eventually tied the game at 51 after a three from Filzen with 9:38 left. Action remained tied, before the Bulls took their first lead of the game after a Byron Mulkey driving lay-up with 7:43 remaining. McCrea converted on a putback to put Buffalo in front by five.
Cooper knocked down a three from the corner to get Ohio within three, but Filzen's hot hand kept up as the Bulls pulled back in front by five. The `Cats continued to scratch and claw over the next few minutes, but they were unable to get any closer than three. Buffalo held a 71-66 lead with just over a minute left.
A Washington throw down off a Tommy Freeman (Muncie, Ind.) feed got Ohio within three, and the `Cats had a chance to possibly tie, but a costly turnover resulted in a pair of Bull free throws at the other end to keep the lead at five with 27 seconds remaining. The `Cats had three different opportunities to try to stay alive over the remainder of the game, but their three-point tries would not go down as Buffalo took the 73-68 win.
Ohio will open interdivisional play Wednesday night as it plays host to Eastern Michigan of the West Division. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in The Convo.
