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ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (14-3, 5-1 MAC) returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 25 when they host Northern Illinois (5-10, 2-3 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The Bobcats matchup will be seen on ESPN+ where Marty Bannister and Rob Cornelius will have the call. 

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."  WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship.  

STORYLINES
• Ohio is coming off of am 87-69 loss against Toledo on Jan. 21, snapping the Bobcats' 9-game winning streak. 
• 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 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-22.
• The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 5, 2021 in Athens where the Bobcats defeated NIU, 76-73. 
• Ohio is 7-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 season.
• The Bobcats 14-3 record through 17 games is the best start for the Bobcats since the 2011-12 season when Ohio started 14-3 over the same span of games.
• 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 +3.41. 
• Ohio is ranked 84th in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 24. 
• Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 66. 
• The Bobcats ranked 34th in the country in free throw percentage and 37th in the country in turnover margin. 
• Mark Sears ranks third in the MAC in scoring, second in free throw percentage, third in steals and fourth in minutes. 
•  Mark Sears is 10th in the country in free throw percentage and tied for 17th in free throws made (88-of-96). 
• The Bobcats are currently 9-1 this season in the Convo. 
• Ohio has registered an impressive 535-177 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

SCOUTING NORTHERN ILLINOIS
NIU enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 5-10 record and a 2-3 mark in MAC play, after falling to Miami, 85-82 in overtime on Jan. 22. 

As a team, NIU averages 62.5 points a game, while shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three and 64.2 percent from the line. The Huskies average 31.5 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 7.0 steals a game. NIU also averages 3.2 blocks a game and turn the ball over an average of 15.2 times a game. 

Opponents average 71.6 points and are shooting 44.6 percent from the field, 33.0 percent from three and 73.1 percent from the line. NIU's opponents also average 36.6 rebounds and 13.8 assists per game, while adding 6.4 steals and 5.4 blocks. Opponents also turn the ball over an average of 15.0 times a game. 

Individually, Keshawn Williams averages 15.7 points a game, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three. Trendon Hankerson adds 10.9 points a game and 3.5 rebounds a contest, while Kaleb Thornton adds 8.6 points a game.  

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with NIU with a 14-3 overall record  and a 5-1 mark in MAC play after falling to Toledo, 87-69 on Jan. 21. 

The Bobcats average 73.9 points a game, while shooting .435 from the field, .333 from three and .763 from the line. The Bobcats grab 34.1 rebounds a game, while dishing out an average of 13.0 assists and registering 7.6 steals a game. Ohio is averaging 11.0 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 67.2 points a game, while shooting .440 from the field, .319 from three and .780 from the line. Opponents are averaging 34.0 rebounds, 11.4 assists and 14.4 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Ohio is led by guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.2 points a game, while shooting .473 from the field, .429 from three and .917 from the line. Forward Jason Carter is adding 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, while forward Ben Vander Plas is averaging 12.8 points a game and 6.5 rebounds. 

ALL TIME VS. NIU
This is the 59th all-time meeting between Ohio and NIU.

Ohio leads the all-time series, 36-22.

The Bobcats and Huskies last met Jan. 5, 2021 in Athens where the Bobcats defeated NIU, 76-73. 

Ohio is 7-5 against NIU since the start of the 2012-13 season, with three of those losses coming in the 2018-19 season.

LAST TIME AGAINST NIU
The Bobcats and NIU last met on Jan. 5, 2021 with Ohio winning, 76-73 inside the Convo. 

All five Ohio starters scored in double-digits. Dwight Wilson III put up 25 points, going 12-of-14 from the field, grabbed eight rebounds and added a pair of assists. Ben Roderick finished the game with 13 points, going 5-of-9 from the field, 2-of-6 from the three and 1-of-1 from the line. Ben Vander Plas put up 11 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, grabbed five rebounds, dished out seven assists, and added three steals. Lunden McDay finished the game with 11 points, going 3-of-8 from the field, 2-of-4 from the three, and 3-of-4 from the line. Mark Sears scored 10 points, dished out seven assists, and grabbed two rebounds. 

As a team, Ohio shot 49.1 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three-point range, and 70.6 percent from the free throw line, while Northern Illinois shot 45.8 percent from the field, 47.6 percent from the three, and 64.3 percent from the free throw line. Northern Illinois out-rebounded Ohio 38-28. Ohio dished out 21 assists to Northern Illinois' 13 and Ohio logged six steals to Northern Illinois' three. 

For Northern Illinois, Zool Kueth put up 22 points, going 6-of-9 from three-point range, while Darius Beane scored 16 points.

LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio men's basketball team (14-3, 5-1 MAC) dropped its first conference game, 87-69, against Toledo (15-4, 7-1 MAC) after the team was unable to recover from a poor-shooting first half Friday night inside the Convocation Center.

Leading the Bobcats was 5th year forward Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) who scored 19 points, went 7-of-16 from the field, 3-of-5 from the line, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out two assists. Sophomore guard Mark Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.) added 14 points and four rebounds, while redshirt senior forward Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) scored 12 points with seven rebounds. 

Overall, Ohio shot 45 percent from the field, 27.6 percent from three and 50 percent from the line. Meanwhile, Toledo shot 59 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three and made 8-of-8 from the line. Toledo outrebounded the Bobcats 33-28, while both teams recorded six steals. The Bobcats forced 12 turnovers, while only turning the ball over four times themselves. 

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 - 9 games

PROTECT THIS HOUSE
Ohio has registered an impressive 535-177 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

OHIO IN THE NET
Ohio is ranked 84th in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 24. 

Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 66. 

OHIO IN THE NCAA
The Bobcats ranked 34th in the country in free throw percentage and 37th in the country in turnover margin. 

Mark Sears is 10th in the country in free throw percentage and tied for 17th in free throws made (88-of-96). 

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

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

Ben Vander Plas is third in the league in minutes played (34.6).

Meanwhile, Ohio is first in turnover margin (+3.41), fourth in free throw percentage, third in assist/TO ratio (1.18) and second in steals (7.6). 

SEARS AT THE LINE
Mark Sears continues his solid season at the free throw line. The sophomore is shooting 91.7 percent (88-of-96), which ranks him first in the MAC and 10th in the NCAA in free throw percentage. He also ranks 17th in free throws made. 

Meanwhile, in the last seven games, Sears is 58-of-61 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 15 games, Brown is averaging 7.2 points and is shooting .457 from the field, .353 from three and is .737 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 17 games, Carter is averaging 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds a game. He is also shooting .59 from the field and .245 from three.

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 17 game, Sears is leading Ohio with 19.2 points per game. He is shooting .473 from the field, .429 from three and .917 from the line. 

He also averages 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 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.

CAREER DAY FOR MARK
On Dec. 21 against USC Upstate, Mark Sears set a career-high with 33 points in the 85-70 victory. He went 11-of-16 from the field, a perfect 10-of-10 from the line and grabbed a career-tying eight boards.

BOALS MARCH TO 100
Third-year head coach Jeff Boals recorded his 100th career win on Jan 4 at Akron.

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 12.8 points per game. He also averages 6.5 rebounds, while dishing out 2.88 assists a game. Vander Plas is shooting .446 from the field and .351 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. 

On Jan. 18 at Miami, Vander Plas scored a season-high 23 points in 29 minutes. 20 of those points came in the first half. 

CLAYTON FOR THREE
In 16 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 11.0 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 5.1 points in 17.7 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 2.5 points and 11.3 minutes.

Towns grabbed a career-high nine rebounds on Jan. 18 at Miami. 

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats are back on the road when they head to Buffalo, N.Y. for a matchup with Buffalo on Friday, Jan. 28. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU. 

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