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CLEVELAND –  Five Ohio men's basketball players scored in double figures as the fifth-seeded Bobcats (14-7) defeated No. 4 Kent State (15-8), 85-63, in the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals inside Rocket Mortgage Field House Thursday afternoon (March 11).

The Bobcats will face off with top-seeded Toledo in the MAC Semifinals tomorrow (March 12). 

This game marked the first time that any current member of the Bobcats' roster has played a tournament game on the floor at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Bobcats advanced to the MAC Semifinals for the first time since 2017.  

"I'm really proud of our guys," head coach Jeff Boals said. "I thought they came out and competed for 40 minutes. Considering what happened in our first game against Kent State, I thought we controlled the tempo of the game. I was really happy with our mindset coming in and we are fortunate to get the win today." 

The 22-point margin of victory is the largest for the Bobcats in the MAC Quarterfinals since the round was moved to a neutral site. The last time Ohio defeated an opponent by double figures in the quarter-finals was in 2016 when the Bobcats defeated Northern Illinois by 17. 

Junior guard Jason Preston (Orlando, Fla.) led the way with 19 points while being a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. Sophomore guard Lunden McDay (Akron, Ohio) scored 18 points, going 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from three. Sophomore guard Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) added 11 points, while senior Dwight Wilson III (Tallahassee, Fla.) recorded 10 points and nine boards, while redshirt junior Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) also added 10 points. 

"Our guys all year have stepped up and performed in situations," Boals said. "Give those guys credit. When their number is called to come in, they do a great job. I think the balance of our team and the selflessness of our team has been really key all year long. We led the league in assists and were one of the top teams in the country. We had almost six guys in double figures today and I just love the balance of our team offensively.  

As a team, Ohio shot 58.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and were 16-of-24 from the line. The Bobcats out-rebounded Kent State, 33-27, while Ohio scored 40 points in the paint compared to the Flashes 24. 

Kent State opened the game with the first points, however, the Bobcats responded with Vander Plas draining his first three of the game moments later to tie the game. A McDay layup a few minutes late put Ohio on top for the first time in the game. With his second three of the game, Vander Plas extended Ohio's lead to 15-4 with 13 minutes to go in the half. The Bobcats went on to take a 26-6 lead with seven minutes to go after a Preston layup. Kent State cut the Ohio lead to nine, however, layup by McDay and freshman guard Jalen White (Pasadena, Texas) gave the Bobcat the 37-25 lead going into half.

After the first 20 minutes of play, Ohio shot 68.2 percent from the field and 50 percent from three, while Kent State shot 29.2 percent from the field, but were 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. 

"I was just picking my spots," Preston said "Our team is very unselfish and my teammates did a great job of hitting me in stride and I found a couple of easy baskets around the rim. It was nice to have that kind of day."                                 

The Bobcats opened the second half as they did the first and never let off the gas until the final buzzer, securing the commanding 85-63 victory. 

For Kent State, Tervell Beck and Malique Jacobs both scored 16 points, while the Flashes shot 38.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from three and were 16-of-20 from the line. 

"Toledo is a great team," Preston said. "They play about six deep and all five guys are threats on offense. Our defense has to be laser-sharp and laser-focused. We really have to lock in and hone in on these guys."

Up next, the Bobcats take on top-seeded Toledo in the MAC Semifinals. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. and can be seen on CBS Sports Network. 

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