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ATHENS, Ohio—The Ohio basketball team (2-3) opened the Bobcat Battle with a victory over Eastern Illinois (1-5), winning 78-67. 
 
As a team, Ohio shot 42.2 percent from the field, 41.4 from the three and were 12-of-16 from the line. The recorded eight steals and 17 assists in comparison to the Panthers' seven steals and eight assists and out-rebounded their opponent, 42-27. 
 
Senior forward Ben Roderick (Powell, Ohio) led with 15 points, going 3-for-5 on threes while senior guard while Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) recorded 14 points with a three-point career-high of four. Freshman forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) more than doubled his career-best for points in a game, scoring 11 total.
 
Sophomore forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) opened with a second-chance dunk for the first two points of the game. After the Panthers tied the game, 4-4, they surged ahead, leaving the Bobcats trailing for most of the half. 
 
Coming out of a timeout, freshman guard AJ Brown (Orlando, Fla.) scored his first three points of his collegiate career, putting the score at 22-19. Senior guard DeVon Baker (Dayton, Ohio) and junior guard Jaylin Hunter (Manchester, Conn.) followed with a layup and a three, cutting Eastern Illinois' lead to 25-24 with 8:04 left in the half. 
 
A Roderick layup tied the game, 32-32, with 2:14 left in the half, tying the game again when he answered the Panther's three-point basket with one of his own. A steal followed by a layup from Hunter gave Ohio a 37-35 lead with just 44 seconds left in the period. 
 
At the half, the Bobcats shot 42.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the three and were 2-of-4 from the line, while Eastern Illinois was 45.8 percent from the field, 58.3 percent from the three and 3-of-4 from the line. Ohio out-rebounded the Panthers, 21-13, while the Bobcats had seven assists and six steals to Eastern Illinois' six assists and three steals. 
 
The Panthers quickly reclaimed the lead with two layups and a free throw, but a three from Clayton tied the game, 40-40, with 17:55 left in the game. Coming out of a timeout, three from Roderick and Clayton along with a layup from graduate student forward Dwight Wilson III (Tallahassee, Fla.) extended Ohio's lead to five points.
 
Roderick came out of the next media timeout strong, hitting two free throws and a three to put Ohio ahead, 57-47, marking their largest lead of the game thus far. After Eastern Illinois put four points on the board, Hadaway hit a three as well as two free throws.
 
The Bobcats continued to dominate, scoring 12 points to the Panthers' five in the next 2:18. Just before the final timeout of the game, Eastern Illinois scored with a layup, putting the score at 74-58 with 3:24 left in the game. 
 
The Panthers closed the game with seven consecutive points, slipping the final jumper with just seven seconds left, but were unable to catch Ohio. The Bobcats won, 78-67. 
 
Up next, the Bobcat return to action on Sunday, Nov. 27 when they host Alabama State for their final game in the Bobcat Battle. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+. 
 
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