ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio men's basketball team (16-3, 7-1 MAC) returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 1 for their first of six games in 12 days when they host Ball State (10-10, 5-4 MAC). Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. The Bobcats matchup will be seen on ESPN3 where Marty Bannister and Jacki Windon will be on 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," 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 a 74-53 victory at Buffalo on Friday. 
• 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 88th all-time meeting between Ohio and Ball State
• Ohio leads the all-time series, 51-36. 
• The Bobcats and Ball State last met Jan. 23, 2021 in Athens, with the Bobcats winning, 85-77.
• The Bobcats are 11-1 against Ball State in their last 12 matchups.
• The Bobcats 16-3 record through 19 games is the best start for the Bobcats since the 2011-12 season when Ohio started 16-4 over the same span of games.  The 1969-70 team also started 16-4 through 19 games. 
• Mark Sears has been named the MAC Player of the Week five times this season, with the most recent coming on Jan. 31. 
• The Bobcats are currently first in the MAC in turnover margin at +3.63. 
• Ohio is ranked 77th in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 31. 
• Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 60.
• Meanwhile, Ball State is ranked 247th.  
• The Bobcats ranked 36th in the country in free throw percentage and 30th in the country in turnover margin. 
• Mark Sears ranks second in the MAC in scoring, second in free throw percentage, third in steals and second in minutes. 
• Mark Sears is 9th in the country in free throw percentage and tied for 9th in free throws made (106-of-116). He is also 21st in the country in points per game. 
• The Bobcats are currently 10-1 this season in the Convo. • Ohio has registered an impressive 536-177 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

SCOUTING BALL STATE
Ball State enters the matchup with Ohio with a 10-10 overall record and a 4-4 mark in MAC play after defeating Western Michigan on Saturday. 

As a team, Ball State averages 74.6 points a game, while shooting 44.9 percent from the field, 36.4 percent from three and 68.5 percent from the line. The Cardinals average 35.3 rebounds, 13.2 assists and 5.9 steals a game. Ball State also averages 2.2 blocks a game and turn the ball over an average of 14.12times a game. 

Opponents average 76.0 points and are shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 35.8 percent from three and 71.9 percent from the line. Buffalo's opponents also average 36.0 rebounds and 13.2 assists per game, while adding 7.4 steals and 3.3 blocks. Opponents also turn the ball over an average of 12.5 times a game. 

Individually, Payton Sparks averages 12.6 points a game, while shooting 54.8 percent from the field, while grabbing 7.5 rebounds a game. Tyler Cochran adds 12.5 points a game and is shooting 35.4 percent from three, while Luke Bumbalough adds 11.7 points  and has a team-leading 64 assists on the year. 

SCOUTING OHIO
Ohio enters the matchup with Ball State with a 16-3 record overall and a 7-1 record in MAC play after defeating Buffalo, 74-53, on Friday in Buffalo. 

The Bobcats average 73.9 points a game, while shooting .434 from the field, .329 from three and .760 from the line. The Bobcats grab 34.5 rebounds a game, while dishing out an average of 12.7 assists and registering 7.8 steals a game. Ohio is averaging 10.8 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 66.2 points a game, while shooting .436 from the field, .310 from three and .7738from the line. Opponents are averaging 34.2 rebounds, 11.1 assists and 14.3 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Ohio is led by guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.9 points a game, while shooting .480 from the field, .415 from three and .914 from the line. Forward Jason Carter is adding 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game, while forward Ben Vander Plas is averaging 12.8 points a game and 6.7 rebounds. 

ALL TIME VS. BALL STATE
This is the 88th all-time meeting between Ohio and Ball State

Ohio leads the all-time series, 51-36.

The Bobcats and Ball State last met Jan. 23, 2021 in Athens, with the Bobcats winning, 85-77.

The Bobcats are 11-1 against Ball State in their last 12 matchups.

LAST TIME AGAINST BALL STATE
Ohio and Ball State last played on Jan. 23, 2021 in Athens. In that game, Jason Preston recorded a triple double, scoring 11 points, grabbed 10 boards and dished out 11 assists.

Preston was one of five Bobcats to reach double figures in points. Dwight Wilson III put up 18 points and added eight rebounds. Lunden McDay scored 17 points, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. Ben Vander Plas scored 11 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out three assists. Off the bench, Mark Sears had 19 points, leading the way for an Ohio squad that converted 26 of its 35 free throw attempts by going 8-of-10 from the line. Sears also pulled down five boards and added two assists. 

Ohio outrebounded Ball State, 45-34, and tallied 17 offensive boards. The Bobcats held a decisive edge in second chance points (26-10) and points in the paint (40-22). 

The Cardinals had three players score in double-digits, with senior guard Ishmael El-Amin leading all scorers with 21 points. 

LAST TIME OUT
Led by 27 points from sophomore Mark Sears, the Ohio men's basketball team (16-3, 7-1 MAC) returned to action Friday night (Jan. 28), defeating Buffalo (10-8, 4-4) 74-53. 

Buffalo won the tip and scored the first field goal; Ohio quickly evened the score with two points of their own from redshirt fifth year Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio). The Bulls pulled ahead, 4-2, but another layup from Carter tied the game before a three-point jumper from junior Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y) gave Ohio the lead. 

The Bobcats' momentum continued into the second period, going on a 15-9 run with six points scored by Sears, extending their lead to 52-29.  After Buffalo cut the Bobcats' lead to 55-38, Sears broke up the Bulls' streak with a three pointer just before the first media timeout of the half. Freshman AJ Clayton (Duncan Falls, Ohio) picked up three more for the Bobcats, giving them a 61-38 lead over the Bulls with 11:09 left in the game. 

Buffalo cut Ohio's lead to 61-45 before Brown broke up their seven-point run with a three. After the Bulls scored two more points, the Bobcats bounced back with two field goals, giving them a 67-47 lead with 6:35 remaining. After the last media timeout of the game, both teams hit two free throws each before Brown sunk a three, putting the Bobcats up 72-49. The Bobcats tacked on two more points to the Bulls' four, solidifying their 74-53 victory. 

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 536-177 (.756) all-time record at the Convocation Center, which opened in 1968.

OHIO IN THE NET
Ohio is ranked 77th in the latest NET rankings released on Jan. 31. 

Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 60.

Meanwhile, Ball State is ranked 247th.  

OHIO IN THE NCAA
The Bobcats ranked 36th in the country in free throw percentage and 30th in the country in turnover margin. 

Mark Sears is 9th in the country in free throw percentage and tied for 9th in free throws made (106-of-116). He is also 21st in the country in points per game. 

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

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

Ben Vander Plas is fourth in the league in minutes played (34.8).

Meanwhile, Ohio is first in turnover margin (+3.63), fifth in free throw percentage, third in assist/TO ratio (1.17) and first in steals (7.8). 

SEARS AT THE LINE
Mark Sears continues his solid season at the free throw line. The sophomore is shooting 91.4 percent (106-of-116), which ranks him second in the MAC and 9th in the NCAA in free throw percentage. He also ranks nine in free throws made. 

Meanwhile, in the last nine games, Sears is 76-of-81 from the line, including going 10-of-10 against USC Upstate, Marshall and Bowling Green and 11-of-12 against NIU. 

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

In 17 games, Brown is averaging 7.2 points and is shooting .448 from the field, .373 from three and is .714 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 19 games, Carter is averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds a game. He is also shooting .446 from the field and .213 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 19 game, Sears is leading Ohio with 19.9 points per game. He is shooting .480 from the field, .415 from three and .914 from the line. 

He also averages 5.0 rebounds, 3.7 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 five times this season, the most recent coming on Jan. 31. 

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 6.7 rebounds, while dishing out 2.9 assists a game. Vander Plas is shooting .446 from the field and .348 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. 

BVP recorded his second double double of the season at Buffalo on Jan. 28, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. 

CLAYTON FOR THREE
In 18 games in the green and white, freshman AJ Clayton has made at least one three in 12 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 3.9 points a game and 10.7 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 5.0 points in 18.5 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 2.7 points and 11.8 minutes.

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

Towns earned his first career start on Jan. 28 at Buffalo. 

UP NEXT
Up next, the Bobcats remain in Athens on Thursday, Feb. 3 when they host Eastern Michigan in a rescheduled matchup. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center.