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

ATHENS, Ohio – A balanced scoring attack by the Bobcats' offense helped Ohio (18-3, 9-1) tie the program record for the best start to a season on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 3). The Bobcats defeated Eastern Michigan (8-13, 3-7) by a score of 81-68 inside the Convocation Center, moving to 12-1 at home and giving Ohio their fourth win in a row.
 
"We always talk about getting off to a great start and not giving them confidence early," noted head coach Jeff Boals after the game. "When you make shots, the game's a lot easier. B-Rod, hats off to him. Coming back from his injury, he looked like the old B-Rod. And he gives us a completely different presence out there when he does that. Mark Sears, I thought, was phenomenal with putting pressure on those guys. I thought our starters were really good.  
 
The Bobcats had four players score in double figures, led by Mark Sears (Muscle Shoals, Ala.), who finished with 20 points. Ben Roderick (Powell, Ohio) returned to the lineup and scored 19 points, Jason Carter (Johnstown, Ohio) poured in 17, and Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) contributed 15. On the glass, the Bobcats were paced by Sears, who had a team-high six rebounds while also dishing out a team-leading five assists.  
 
"It felt good to see the ball go in the hoop," noted Roderick after the game. "I'm going to take this game and run with it. One thing that stood out to me is that Coach Barlow said to expect the ball to go in, and that's what I did. And the ball went in, so it was a great feeling."
 
Sears opened the scoring for the Bobcats, hitting a transition three-pointer just over a minute into the contest. The Bobcats stayed hot from beyond the arc, scoring their first twelve points courtesy of the long ball to open up an early 12-4 lead at the first media timeout. 
 
A 7-0 run by Ohio to give the Bobcats a 19-6 lead prompted an Eastern Michigan timeout with 13:29 left in the first half. Ohio's offense went just over three minutes without adding to their lead before a Sears layup ended the scoring drought and put the Bobcats up 21-8. A quick burst by Eastern Michigan narrowed Ohio's advantage to just six points at 21-15, but the Bobcats responded and held a 26-18 lead at the under-8 timeout. 
 
Roderick scored his first points since returning to the Bobcats lineup at the 6:39 mark in the first half, scooping in a layup off a drive to give Ohio a 30-20 lead. The Bobcats established a lead as large as 14 at 35-21 after a Roderick jumper, and held a 35-25 edge at the final media timeout of the half. Ohio kept their lead in double-digits for the remainder of the half and took a 44-34 lead into the locker room.
 
Sears led the offensive effort through the first 20 minutes, putting up a team-high 14 points and grabbing six rebounds. As a team, the Bobcats shot 53.6% (15 for 28) overall from the field, including 53.8% (7 for 13) from beyond the arc. The Bobcats' defense forced eight turnovers, turning those takeaways into ten points. 
 
Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) started the scoring in the second half, knocking down a corner three-pointer on Ohio's first possession. Ohio's second three-pointer of the half came courtesy of Carter and gave the Bobcats a 52-36 lead, forcing the Eagles to call timeout with 17:27 on the clock. 
 
A 17-2 run by Ohio spanning across the under-16 media timeout allowed Ohio to grab a lead as large as 26 points at 64-38 with 13:28 remaining. Eastern Michigan used a 13-2 run to help cut into that large lead, and the Bobcats went into the under-8 media timeout leading 66-51. Baskets by Vander Plas, Sears, Carter, and Roderick helped Ohio regain control of the contest however, giving the Bobcats a 79-56 lead at the final media timeout. Ohio's bench closed out the afternoon inside the Convo, with Tommy Schmock (Cleveland, Ohio) scoring the final points in Ohio's 81-68 victory.
 
The Bobcats finished the day having shot 51.8% (29 of 56) from the field. Ohio hit 12 three-pointers on Thursday afternoon, the most made in a single game since the Bobcats' 86-63 win against Miami on Jan. 18, when Ohio connected on 13 from deep. The Bobcats also found success at the charity stripe, shooting 91.7% (11 for 12) for the day. As a team, Ohio's defense forced 18 turnovers, tied for fourth-most in a single game this season, and turned those takeaways into 24 points on the offensive end. 

Eastern Michigan was led by Nate Scott who finished with 16 points on 7 for 11 shooting from the field, and Bryce McBride who contributed 14 points and played 31 minutes off of the bench. The Eagles' leading rebounders were Mo Njie and Scott, who both grabbed six boards apiece.
 
Up Next:
 
Ohio will stay within the friendly confines of the Convo for their MAC game, as they take on Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 5). Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.