FOLLOW OHIO MEN'S BASKETBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (13-2, 4-0 MAC) returns to action Tuesday, Jan. 18 when they head to Oxford Ohio to take on Miami (8-7, 2-2 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside Millett Hall. The Bobcats matchup will be seen on ESPN3. 

The Bobcats' matchup can be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 14th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats," along with Ohio alum Rob Cornelius.  WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship.  

STORYLINES
• Ohio is coming off of an 85-78 victory over Bowling Green on Jan. 11 inside the Convo.
• The Bobcats matchup with CMU on Jan. 15 at CMU was postponed. 
• Mark Sears has been named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of the Year Mid-Season Watch List on Jan. 12. 
• Third-year head coach Jeff Boals recorded his 100th career win on Jan 4 at Akron. 
• This is the 209th all-time meeting between Ohio and Miami.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 114-94. 
• The Bobcats and RedHawks last met Jan 12, 2021 in Athens, where the Bobcats won 78-61. 
• The Bobcats and RedHawks only met twice last season due to the second matchup being canceled due to Covid-19. 
• The Bobcats defeated Miami twice in 2020, including a 77-46 thrashing on Feb. 8 in Athens, where Jason Preston recorded his first career triple double. 
• Ohio is 17-3 against Miami since 2011-12 season. 
• The Bobcats 13-2 record through 15 games is the best start for the Bobcats since the 2011-12 season when Ohio started 14-1 over the same span of games.  
• Ohio's eight-game winning streak is the sixth-longest in program history (more on page 3). 
• Mark Sears has been named the MAC Player of the Week four times this season, with the most recent coming on Jan. 10. 
• The Bobcats are currently first in the MAC in turnover margin at +3.73. 
• Ohio is ranked 81st in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 17. 
• Ohio is the second highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 73. 
• Meanwhile. Miami is ranked 161.
• The Bobcats rank 11th in the country in free throw percentage and 34th in the country in turnover margin. 
• Mark Sears ranks first in the MAC in scoring, free throw percentage, fourth in steals and second in minutes. 
•  Mark Sears is 9th in the country in free throw percentage and 10th in free throws made (82-of-89). 
• The Bobcats are currently 9-0 this season in the Convo. 
• Ohio has registered an impressive 535-176 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

SCOUTING MIAMI
Miami enters the matchup with the Bobcats with an 8-7 record and a 2-2 mark in MAC play, after defeating Western Michigan, 70-61 on Jan. 15. 

As a team, Miami averages 78.5 points a game, while shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from three and 78.3 percent from the line. The RedHawks average 37.8 rebounds, 13.7 assists and 5.0 steals a game. Miami also averages 3.9 blocks a game and turn the ball over an average of 9.6 times a game. 

Opponents average 69.0 points and are shooting 40.7 percent from the field, 32.7 percent from three and 74.1 percent from the line. Miami's opponents also average 35.9 rebounds and 12.7 assists per game, while adding 5.3 steals and 3.2 blocks. Opponents also turn the ball over an average of 11.8 times a game. 

Individually, Dae Dae Grant averages 16.7 points a game, while shooting 43.8 percent from the field, 34.7 percent from three and 87.2 percent from the line, while Mekhi Lairy adds 14.3 points a game. Dalonte Brown averages 13.0 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, while shooting .463 from the field and 39 percent from three. 

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with Miami with a 13-2 overall record  and a 4-0 mark in MAC play after defeating Bowling Green, 85-78 on Jan 11 in Athens. 

The Bobcats average 73.4 points a game, while shooting .429 from the field, .332 from three and .790 from the line. The Bobcats grab 34.3 rebounds a game, while dishing out an average of 12.9 assists and registering 7.4 steals a game. Ohio is averaging 11.0 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 66.1 points a game, while shooting .433 from the field, .316 from three and .769 from the line. Opponents are averaging 34.3 rebounds, 11.4 assists and 14.7 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Ohio is led by guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.7 points a game, while shooting .480 from the field, .432 from three and .921 from the line. Forward Jason Carter is adding 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, while forward Ben Vander Plas is averaging 12.1 points a game and 6.5 rebounds. 

ALL TIME VS. MIAMI
This is the 209th all-time meeting between Ohio and Miami.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 114-94. 

The Bobcats and RedHawks last met Jan 12, 2021 in Athens, where the Bobcats won 78-61. 

The Bobcats and RedHawks only met twice last season due to the second matchup being canceled due to Covid-19. 

The Bobcats defeated Miami twice in 2020, including a 77-46 thrashing on Feb. 8 in Athens, where Jason Preston recorded his first career triple double. 

Ohio is 17-3 against Miami since 2011-12 season. 

LAST TIME AGAINST MIAMI
The Bobcats and Miami last met on Jan. 12, 2021 in Athens, with the Bobcats winning, 78-61. 

Three Bobcats scored in double-digits. Ben Roderick scored 22 points and added three assists. Ben Vander Plas scored 15 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists. Jason Preston scored 10 points alongside six rebounds and eight assists. Dwight Wilson III put up eight points and three rebounds. Lunden McDay added nine, while off the bench, Mark Sears scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists. 

The Bobcats shot 57.4 percent from the field, 47.8 percent from three-point range, and 100 percent from the free throw line. Miami went 40.4 percent from the field, 34.8 percent from three-point range and 70.0 percent from the line. Ohio grabbed 30 boards to Miami's 28 and Ohio led in assists 23-16. Both teams had two blocks and five steals each. 

For Miami, Dalonte Brown had 16 points and five rebounds, while Mekhi Lairy and Dae Dae Grant put up 15 and 12 points, respectively. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio men's basketball team never trailed Tuesday night (Jan. 11), defeating Bowling Green, 85-79, inside the Convocation Center. The Bobcats have now won eight-straight and are 9-0 inside the Convo.

Leading the Bobcats was fifth-year forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) who scored 22 points, went 9-of-14 from the field, 4-of-7 from the line, grabbed eight rebounds and recorded three assists. Sophomore guard Mark Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) followed with 19, grabbing six rebounds and going 10-of-10 at the line. Senior guard Tommy Schmock (Cleveland, Ohio) added a season-high 17 points, going 4-of-7 for the three and collecting seven rebounds. Freshman forward AJ Clayton (Duncan Falls) added a career-high 12 points, nine of which came from threes.

Overall, Ohio shot 44 percent from the field, 31 percent from the three, and went 23-of-30 from the line, while Bowling Green shot 43 percent from the field, 39 percent from the three, and went 11-of-15 at the line. The Bobcats had 20 rebounds to the Falcons 14 and posted eight assists to their seven.

For Bowling Green, Daeqwon Plowden and Myron Gordon scored 18 points apiece, with Plowden collecting eight rebounds and Gordon recording four assists. 

OHIO WIN STREAKS
1921-22 - 13 games
1993-94 - 13 games
1959-1960 - 12 games
1940-41 - 11 games
1984-85 - 11 games
1985-86 - 11 games
1920-21 - 10 games
2011-12 - 9 games
2021-22 - 8 games

OHIO IN THE NET
Ohio is ranked 81st in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 17. 

Ohio is the second highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 73. 

Meanwhile. Miami is ranked 161.

OHIO IN THE NCAA
The Bobcats rank 11th in the country in free throw percentage and 34th in the country in turnover margin.  

Mark Sears is 9th in the country in free throw percentage and 10th in free throws made (82-of-89).  

OHIO IN THE MAC 
Mark Sears ranks first in the MAC in scoring, free throw percentage, fourth in steals and second in minutes.

Jason Carter is fifth in blocked shots (19) and sixth in rebounding. 

Ben Vander Plas is third in the league in minutes played (34.7).

Meanwhile, Ohio is first in turnover margin (+3.73), second in free throw percentage, third in assist/TO ratio (1.18) and second in steals (7.4). 

SEARS AT THE LINE
Mark Sears continues his solid season at the free throw line. The sophomore is shooting 92.1 percent (82-of-89), which ranks him first in the MAC and 9th in the NCAA in free throw percentage. He also ranks 10th in free throws made. 

Meanwhile, in the last five games, Sears is 52-of-54 from the line, including going 10-of-10 against USC Upstate, Marshall and Bowling Green. 

MILES STEPPING UP
Junior guard Miles Brown is stepping up in his new starting role. 

In 13 games, Brown is averaging 7.2 points and is shooting .432 from the field, .333 from three and is .824 from the line. 

Brown scored a career-high 19 points on Nov. 26 against Concordia.

IT'S LIKE HE NEVER LEFT
In his first game back in Athens, Jason Carter was back to his old self. 

Carter registered his first double double of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the victory over Belmont. 

After 15 games, Carter is averaging 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. He is also shooting .451 from the field, .227 from three and is 32-of-48 from the line. 

He also has two double-doubles early on this season. 

On Jan. 11 against BGSU, Carter scored a season-high 22 points in the victory. 

SEARS LEADING THE WAY
Since taking over point guard duties at the start of the season, Sears has quickly proven that he belongs. 

Over 15 game, Sears is leading Ohio with 19.7 points per game. He is shooting .480 from the field, .432 from three and .921 from the line. 

He also averages 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals a game. 

After opening the season with a 27-point performance against Belmont, Sears also added a 24-point game against St. Francis on Dec. 4, where he grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. 

Sears had another 20-point performance on Dec. 15 against Marshall, scoring 24 points in the 75-65 victory. 

Sears set another career-high on Dec. 21 when he scored 33 points against USC Upstate inside the Convo. 

He has been named the MAC Player of the Week four times this season. 

BVP STILL STEADY
Ben Vander Plas picked up right where he left on in 2021-22 on Nov. 9. 

The forward scored 19 points and grabbed six boards in Ohio's win against Belmont. He also tied a career-high, dishing out seven assists. 

BVP added another 19-point performance against Kentucky. 

BVP is currently third on the team in scoring with 12.1 points per game. He also averages 6.5 rebounds, while dishing out 3.07 assists a game. Vander Plas is shooting .424 from the field and .345 from three. 

BVP also made a splash on Dec. 1 at LSU. With the Bobcats trailing entering the second, Vander Plas hit three-straight threes for Ohio, helping tie the game early in the second half. He finished the game with 12 points. 

BVP hit a career-high six made three pointers on Jan. 7 against Kent State, while also scoring season-high 20 points in the victory. 

CLAYTON FOR THREE
In 15 games in the green and white, freshman AJ Clayton has made at least one three in 10 of those games. 

Clayton recorded his first two-point basket on Nov. 26 against Concordia. 

Clayton has scored six points in three games this season - two against SEC opponents and one at Stetson on Dec. 11.

Clayton set a career-high with seven points on Dec. 21 vs. USC Upstate.  

Clayton set a career-high on Jan. 11 against BGSU, scoring 12 points and going 2-of-6 from three. 

The 17-year old is averaging 4.1 points a game and 10.8 minutes. 

SCHMOCK SHOWS OUT

Senior transfer guard Tommy Schmock has a career day on Nov. 26 against Concordia, scoring 11 points and going from 3-of-7 from three. 

Against LSU, Schmock snagged a career-high three steals.  

Schmock got his first start in the Green and White on Jan. 7 against Kent State. 

In his second start of the season on Jan. 11 against BGSU, Schmock was sensational, scoring 17 points, going 5-of-10 from the field, 4-of-7 from three and grabbed seven boards in the victory. 

This season. Schmock is averaging 4.8 points in 17.2 minutes off the bench. 

TOWNS OFF THE BENCH
Sophomore forward Sam Towns made a mark on Nov. 13 at Cleveland State. 

Off the bench, Towns scored five points, hit a three, while also grabbed a career-high six rebounds and dished out five assists. 

So far off the bench, Towns is averaging 2.1 points and 10.3 minutes. 

TWO NEW FACES
The Bobcats have added two new faces to the roster for the start of the Spring semester, 

Ohio has added sophomore guard Luke Frazier, a transfer from Dayton. 

The Bobcats have also added senior guard Josh McDaniel. McDaniel is a walk-on and former manager for the Bobcats. 

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats are back in the Convo on Friday, Jan. 21 when they host Toledo. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and can be seen on CBS Sports Network. 

#OUohyeah