Box Score (HTML) | Box Score (PDF)

THE BASICS
Score: Ohio 72, Jackson State 67
Location: Convocation Center - Athens, Ohio
The Short Story: Redshirt sophomore guard Jaaron Simmons (Dayton, Ohio) led the Ohio men's basketball team (7-3) to a 72-67 victory over Jackson State (4-8) with a game-high 17 points and eight assists as the Bobcats won their third straight on Thursday (Dec. 17) at the Convocation Center.

OHIO STARTERS: #0 Treg Setty, #2 Jaaron Simmons, #13 Kenny Kaminski, #33 Antonio Campbell, #35 Jordan Dartis

JACKSON STATE STARTERS: #1 Chace Franklin, #3 Yettra Specks, #10 Raeford Worsham, #22 Treshawn Bolden, #30 Troy Stancil

HOW IT HAPPENED
• The Bobcats shot 45.2 percent (19-of-42) from the field while holding the Tigers to 36.8 percent (25-of-68). Ohio won despite being outrebounded, 38-37. Jackson State grabbed 20 offensive boards. The Bobcats also overcame 15 turnovers while forcing the Tigers into just eight and also won despite being outscored in points in the paint (28-16), points off turnovers (20-9), second-chance points (24-6) and bench points (27-8). Ohio took advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, shooting 71.1 percent (27-of-38).
• Simmons went 5-of-7 from the field and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. He also grabbed six rebounds in 40 minutes of work.
• Junior forward Antonio Campbell (Cincinnati, Ohio) posted his third-straight double-double and fifth of the season with 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds in 31 minutes. He also added two blocks and a steal. He shot 3-of-5 from the field and 7-of-9 from the free throw line.
• Redshirt senior forward Treg Setty (Maysville, Ky.) just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes. He went 6-for-9 from the free throw line. Setty also recorded a steal.
• Freshman guard Jordan Dartis (Newark, Ohio) hit two treys and went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe to finish with 12 points in 38 minutes. He also posted two assists. 
• Redshirt junior forward Kenny Kaminski (Medina, Ohio) added nine points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 32 minutes.
• Junior forward Wadly Mompremier (Miami, Fla.) tallied a game-high three blocks in addition to three points, a rebound and a steal in nine minutes.
• Redshirt sophomore guard Paris Collins scored 15 points off of a 6-of-13 shooting effort in 33 minutes off of the bench to lead Jackson State. He also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and added two assists and a block.
• Junior point guard Yettra Specks shot 4-of-8 from the field -- including 3-of-3 from three-point range -- to total 13 points for the Tigers. He also logged three assists and two steals in 34 minutes.
• Freshman guard Troy Stancil scored 10 points in 23 minutes off of 4-of-9 shooting for Jackson State. He also recorded an assist, a block and a steal.
• Junior forward Janarius Middleton tallied nine points, a rebound and an assist in 15 minutes off of the bench for the Tigers.
• Junior guard Chace Franklin dished out a team-high four assists for Jackson State and also chipped in eight points and two steals in 37 minutes.
• The Bobcats used five points apiece by Dartis and Simmons to build a 12-8 advantage with just over 12 minutes to play in the first half.
• The Tigers responded with a 13-2 run over the next three minutes to take a 21-14 lead, utilitzing a pair of jumpers by Middleton and threes by Specks, Franklin and Stancil.
• Ohio evened the score at 21-all with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half thanks to a pair of free throws by Simmons, a layup by Campbell and a jumper by Setty, but Jackson State outscored the 'Cats by a 12-9 count over the final six-plus minutes of the first half to take a 33-30 advantage into the break.
• The Bobcats opened the second half with a 14-6 run over the initial six minutes. A trey by Dartis knotted things up 33-all, then the rookie gave Ohio a 35-34 edge with a pair of free throws. The Bobcats then took advantage of a three by Kaminski, a pair of free throws by Campbell, a jumper by Simmons and a dunk by Mompremier to back up by five at 44-39.
• The Tigers responded with a dunk by Collins, a layup by Franklin and a layup by senior guard Raeford Worsham to cut Ohio's lead to 46-45 with just over 12 minutes left, but the Bobcats countered with a 5-1 spurt that was highlighted by a triple by Setty to go back up by five at 51-46 with 8:31 left.
• Jackson State answered Ohio's challenge once again, as Specks knocked down a pair of freebies and Collins converted a conventional three-point game to knot the contest up at 51-all.
• The Bobcats countered again, though, going on a 15-2 run over the ensuing five minutes to take their largest lead of the game. Campbell recorded five points during the run, Simmons added four, Kaminski drained a three and Setty converted a conventional three-point play to put the Bobcats up by 13 at 66-53 with 2:24 remaining.
• The Tigers refused to go quietly, though, as Stancil made a jumper and a layup, Specks converted a layup and Franklin nailed a trey to make it a six-point affair at 68-62 with 41 seconds to play. Campbell and Kaminski both sank a pair of free throws, though, to put the game on ice and give Ohio a victory.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
• The Bobcats posted their third-straight victory after notching a 76-67 win at Cleveland State last Saturday (Dec. 12) at Quicken Loans Arena and following it up with a 93-69 triumph over Ohio Dominican on Tuesday (Dec. 15).
• Ohio has posted seven non-conference triumphs in 10 games in 2015-16. The Bobcats won five non-conference games in 11 tries last season.
• Ohio came away victorious in its first meeting with Jackson State.
• The Green & White earned the program's 450th victory at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968. Ohio boasts a .760 winning percentage in its home arena.
• The Bobcats start a season with five home victories in five tries for the fourth time in the last five seasons. 
• Simmons led the Bobcats in scoring for a team-high fourth time this year and in assists for a team-high 10th time. He's posted at least five assists in every game this year. Simmons reached double figures in scoring for the eighth time this season to match Campbell for the team lead.
• Campbell recorded his 14th career double-double. He finished with double-digit points for the eighth time this season to tie Simmons for the team lead and 29th time in his career and tallied double-digit boards for the sixth time this year and 17th time in his career. Campbell led the Bobcats in rebounding for a team-high eighth time this season.
• Setty reached double figures in scoring for the fourth time this year and seventh time in his career.
• Dartis tallied double-digit points for the third-straight game and sixth time this year.

QUOTABLE
Second-year head coach Saul Phillips on the win
"We had a lot of leaks springing in the dam there. We got them plugged up with toes and fingers and anything we could find."

Redshirt sophomore guard Jaaron Simmons on playing at the Convocation Center
"I feel it's an advantage all the time. The fans get into the game. They yell at us, they yell at the other team. It can get pretty loud in here. I definitely think we got a home court advantage."

Junior forward Antonio Campbell on redshirt sophomore guard Jaaron Simmons
"That’s every point guard’s job, to run the offense. They’re pretty much the leader out there. It’s huge to have Jaaron. He’s a do-it-all guy."

UP NEXT
The Bobcats host their second-straight Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent next Monday (Dec. 21), taking on Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 7 p.m. ET contest.

#BleedGreen