THE BASICS

Score: Evansville: 81, Ohio: 69 (OT)

Location: Ford Center - Evansville, Ind.

The Short Story: Redshirt junior guard Javarez Willis (Homer, La.) drilled the game-tying three with 47 seconds left to force overtime, but the Ohio men's basketball team (3-4) fell to Evansville (8-2), 81-69, on Thursday (Dec. 18) at the Ford Center.

OHIO STARTERS: #0 Treg Setty, #3 Javarez Willis, #5 Maurice Ndour, #24 Mike Laster, #33 Antonio Campbell  

EVANSVILLE STARTERS: #3 Jaylon Brown, #12 Adam Wing, #31 D.J. Balentine, #50 Blake Simmons, #55 Egidijus Mockevicius

HOW IT HAPPENED 

- The Bobcats shot 41.4 percent from the field, but the Purple Aces countered by shooting at a 50.0 percent clip and sinking 23-of-28 free throw attempts (82.1 percent).  

- Redshirt junior forward Treg Setty (Maysville, Ky.) scored a season-high eight points in the first half, helping the 'Cats take a 38-36 lead into the halftime break. Ohio converted at a 53.3 percent rate in the first half -- including 50.0 percent (5-for-10) from three-point land. Senior forward Maurice Ndour (Mbour Senegal) and senior guard Stevie Taylor (Gahanna, Ohio) each contributed seven points in the opening 20 minutes. 

- Ohio maintained control of the contest through the opening six minutes of the second half, with a layup by sophomore forward Wadly Mompremier (Miami, Fla.) giving the Bobcats their largest lead of the game at 50-44.

- The Purple Aces proceeded to go on a 21-9 run to take a 65-59 lead with 3:57 to play in regulation. The stretch was powered by four points by sophomore guard Duane Gibson, four free throws by junior guard Adam Wing and five points by junior center Egidijus Mockevicius. 

- The Bobcats responded with a 10-4 run to close regulation, using a trey by Taylor, two layups by Ndour and the tying trey by Willis.
- The Purple Aces had an opportunity to win it in regulation, but junior guard D.J. Balentine's three point attempt was off the mark. Evansville got the ball back by way of the rock glancing off of Setty and out of bounds on the scramble for the rebound, but redshirt freshman guard/forward Khari Harley (Egg Harbor Township, N.J.) intercepted in the ensuing inbound pass to force overtime.  

- Evansville held Ohio scoreless during five-minute overtime, with Balentine scoring eight of the Purple Aces' 12 points down the stretch.

- Ndour led Ohio with 14 points, a game-high 12 rebounds and two blocks.

- Willis added 12 points, with 10 of them coming in the second half. 

- Taylor and sophomore forward Antonio Campbell (Cincinnati, Ohio) each added 10 points. Taylor also collected a game-high three steals.  

- Balentine led Evansville with a game-high 23 points, going 7-for-10 from the charity stripe. He also dished out a game-high six assists and hauled in eight boards. Mockevicius achieved a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and swatted a game-high three blocks. Sophomore guard/forward Blake Simmons added 14 points and three assists. Wing contributed 11 points, six rebounds and two assists.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

- Ndour recorded his third double-double of the season and seventh of his career. He's achieved double-digit points six times this season -- including three straight games -- and 31 times in his career and double-digit rebounds four times this season and 10 times in his career.

- Willis posted his fifth double-digit scoring effort of the year and 15th of his career.

- Taylor hit double figures for the third time this season -- including three of the last four games -- and 18th time in his career

- Willis posted his fifth double-digit scoring effort of the year and 15th of his career.

- Campbell tallied double-digit points for the fourth time this season -- including three straight games -- and seventh time in his career.

- Thursday's contest marked the first overtime game of first-year head coach Saul Phillips' tenure.

- Setty made his first career start at Ohio on Thursday. He started 10 games in 2011-12 as a freshman at Southern Illinois.

QUOTABLE

First-Year Head Coach Saul Phillips

- "You're absolutely crazy if you can't see the potential in this team. I'm sick of saying it, but we are ridiculously close. We're going to get there."

UP NEXT

Ohio will spend the holiday season in beautiful Honolulu as the Bobcats take part in the 2014 Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The Bobcats open the Classic next Monday (Dec. 22) against George Washington. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPNU. The eight-team Diamond Head Classic, will feature 12 games through three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through the bracket. The two teams that remain undefeated throughout will face off in the championship game on the final day of the tournament. With a win over the Colonials, the 'Cats would face the winner of the DePaul-Colorado contest on Tuesday (Dec. 23) in a 4:30 p.m. ET clash on ESPNU.

#SaulBall