CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Ohio men's basketball team (6-6) wrapped up nonconference play on Saturday afternoon at the Legends of Basketball Showcase, falling to Davidson (10-3), 72-69, inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. 
 
Overall, Ohio shot 39 percent from the field, 35 percent from three and were 16-of-27 from the line, while Davidson shot 40 percent from the field, 24 percent from three and were 22-of-36 from the line. Davidson outrebounded the Bobcats, 45-39, while Ohio dished out 14 assists to Davidson's 11. The Bobcats also forced 16 Davidson turnovers, scoring 18 points off them. 
 
Individually, junior forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) led Ohio with 13 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Jaylin Hunter (Manchester, Conn.) added 12 points and seven assists. Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) scored 11 points and grabbed five boards, while fifth year guard Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) added nine points and nine rebounds, and sophomore forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) scored six points and grabbed nine rebounds. 
 
Ohio won the tip and then got on the board first with a jumper from Hunter. After a jumper and a dunk helped put Ohio up four, five-straight pints from Davidson gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead going into the first media timeout. Threes from Hunter and Mitchell helped put Ohio up three, but a 7-0 run from Davidson put the Wildcats up four with 12:22 left in the half. 
 
After Davidson took a six-point lead, the Bobcats battled back to tie the gamer at 20-20 after a three from Clayton. However, moments later, Davidson hit back-to-back threes to retake the six-point lead at the under-eight media timeout. After Davidson went up eight, back-to-back threes from sophomore guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) helped cut the Ohio deficit to 30-28 entering the final media timeout. 
 
Out of the timeout, five-straight points from sophomore guard Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) put Ohio up three. After the two teams traded free throws, the Bobcats' defense dug in, with back-to-back threes from Brown coming in 15 seconds to send Ohio to the locker room with the 40-33 lead.
 
In the end, Ohio closed out the final six minutes of the first half with a 20-5 run to retake the lead. 
 
At the half, Ohio shot 45 percent from the field, 47 percent from three and were 5-of-7 from the line, while Davidson shot 42 percent from the field, 29 percent from three and were 7-of-10 form the line. Davidson outrebounded Ohio 21-15, while Ohio dished out 10 assists to Davidson's six. 
 
Individually, Hunter led Ohio with 10 points and five assists, with Sheldon and Brown adding six points and Clayton five boards. 
 
Ohio got the first points of the second half with a jumper from James, with Ohio taking an eight-point lead. After Davidson cut the Ohio lead to three, another jumper from James put Ohio back up 48-43 going into the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, Davidson capitalized on Ohio fouls, hitting a three with 14:06 left to take a 50-48 lead, forcing Ohio to burn a timeout. Out of the timeout, a dunk from Clayton and a jumper from Hunter put Ohio back up one with 11:44 to go. 
 
After both teams traded free throw over the next few minutes, back-to-back baskets from Hadaway game the Bobcats a 59-55 lead entering the under-eight media timeout. Over the next seven minutes, both teams traded jumpers and free throws, trading the lead. After a three-point play from Mitchell put Ohio up two, two free throws from Davidson tine the game at 67-67 with a minute left. 
 
A free throw from Davidson put the Wildcats up one, forcing Ohio to call a timeout with 24.3 seconds to go and the ball in the offensive end. Unfortunately, Ohio was unable to capitalize on offensive chances, ultimately falling to Davidson, 72-69. 
 
For Davidson, both Reed Bailey and Grant Huffman scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, while Connor Kochera scored 14 points and had seven boards. 
 
Up next, the Bobcats open Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday, Jan. 2 when Ohio hosts Toledo. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPNU. 
 
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