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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (17-8, 9-5 MAC) erupted for 54 points in the second half and totaled six players in double figures in a 95-75 victory over Mid-American Conference East Division rival Bowling Green (11-16, 5-9 MAC) on Saturday (Feb. 18) in front of 8,150 fans at the Convocation Center.

Ohio has now won three in a row -- its longest winning streak since start MAC play 3-0.

The Bobcats shot 73.3 percent (22-of-30) from the field in the second half en route to their first home win over the Falcons since 2013.

Redshirt junior guard Jaaron Simmons (Dayton, Ohio) continued making his case as one of the best point guards in country with a game-high 26 points and 11 assists to post his fifth double-double of the 2016-17 season. He shot 10-of-12 from the field -- including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc -- and sank three of his four free throw attempts. He also collected three rebounds in 36 minutes. Simmons has scored at least 21 points in five of the last nine games for the Bobcats.

"That's a pretty strong outing," said third-year head coach Saul Phillips of Simmons' performance. "Boy he came out and put on a show. Heard some comments he didn't like. Responded. So, that's Jaaron for you. He's a warrior."

Freshman forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) scored 19 points, hauled in five boards, blocked a game-high two shots and tallied a steal in 22 minutes of work.

"When Jason has a run like that, this team responds," said Phillips. "They just really do. That's the way they are. He was pretty special for a freshman. Hell, he was pretty special for a senior."

Redshirt senior forward Kenny Kaminski went 5-of-9 from the field and finished with 14 points. He also notched three rebounds, a game-high three steals and an assist over 29 minutes.

Sophomore guard Jordan Dartis (Newark, Ohio) fired 4-of-7 from the field -- including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc -- to total 12 points. He also added four assists, three rebounds, a block and a steal in 35 minutes.

Sophomore guard/forward Gavin Block (Lincoln, Ill.) finished in double figures in points for the third time in the last four games with 12 points and nearly recorded a double-double with a game-high nine rebounds. He also recorded an assist, a block and a steal in 29 minutes of work.

Junior guard Mike Laster (Detroit, Mich.) gave the Bobcats a solid 21 minutes off of the bench, shooting 5-of-6 from the field to tally 10 points. He also posted four rebounds and two assists.

Bowling Green freshman guard Dylan Frye sank a three for the first points of the contest, and the Falcons led for 15:03 of the first half. A layup by senior guard Zack Denny with 7:23 left in the first half gave Bowling Green a game-high six-point advantage at 29-23.

Ohio turned the tide of the contest, though, by outscoring the Falcons by an 18-6 count over the final 6:52 half to take a 41-35 lead into halftime. The Bobcats' rally was powered by seven points apiece from Simmons and Kaminski.

The Bobcats kept their foot on the gas out of the halftime break, building a 20-point lead at 65-45 with 11:58 to go. Carter scored 12 points -- including a dunk and a triple -- in the first four-plus minutes of the second half.

The Falcons fought back, though, cutting Ohio's lead back down to 10 with 8:32 to go thanks to a 15-5 run that saw freshman guard Rodrick Caldwell score seven points and Frye add four.

Despite the charge by Bowling Green, Ohio's offense roared back to life in the final 8:19 of play, outscoring the Falcons by a 25-15 count. Simmons took over down the stretch, accounting for 11 points while Kaminski and Carter entertained the Convo crowd with dunks.

"It's great for our confidence to put a winning streak," said Simmons. "For our fans to still be in in, I think they see we’re here to stay."

Caldwell led Bowling Green with 12 points, going 5-of-7 from the floor -- including 2-of-2 from deep. He also logged three assists in 24 minutes of work.

Denny shot 4-of-7 of the field -- including 3-of-4 from three-point land -- to total 11 points. He also chipped in two steals and a rebound in 26 minutes for the Falcons. Sophomore forward Demajoe Wiggins also finished with 11 points for Bowling Green and grabbed a team-high six rebounds in 18 minutes.

Senior forward Wes Alcegaire recorded 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and an assist over 29 minutes for the Falcons.

Ohio opens a two-game MAC East road stretch next Tuesday (Feb. 21) when it visits Oxford, Ohio, for the first 'Battle of the Bricks' matchup of the 2017 season against archrival Miami (10-17, 3-11 MAC). The opening tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Millett Hall. The contest will be televised on American Sports Network. The game will also will be broadcast on ESPN3 and is being streamed live nationally on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.

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