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MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. –  Despite a slow start, the Ohio men's basketball team (16-11, 8-6 MAC) returned to action Saturday afternoon (Feb. 18), defeating Central Michigan (10-17, 5-9 MAC), 76-59, for its fifth-straight win, inside McGurik Arena. 
 
Overall, Ohio shot 49 percent from the field, 56.5 percent from three and were 13-of-20 from the line, while CMU shot 45 percent for the field, 26.7 percent form three and were 19-of-26 from the line. CMU outrebounded the Bobcats, 32-23, however the Bobcats dished out 11 assists and forced 18 turnovers, scoring 22 points off them. 
 
Individually, sophomore forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) led the Bobcats with 18 points, going 5-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from the line, while junior guard Jaylin Hunter (Manchester, Conn.) scored 14 points and dished out six assists. Senior guard Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) added 12 points and went 4-of-5 from three, while senior guard DeVon Baker (Dayton, Ohio) scored 11, followed by freshman guard AJ Brown (Orlando, Fla.) with 10. Graduate student forward Dwight Wilson III (Tallahassee, Fla.) added nine points and three rebounds.
 
CMU won the tip and opened the game on a 12-0 run sending the game to the first media timeout with Ohio down 12. Out of the timeout, Hunter got the Bobcats on the board with a layup before back-to-back jumpers from Baker cut the Ohio deficit to 18-6 with 11:54 remaining in the half. Out of the timeout, AJ Brown hit four free throws and Hunter capitalized on a layup, before a three from Clayton cut the Ohio deficit to 23-15, forcing CMU to call a timeout. 
 
Out of the timeout, CMU hit a three, however the Bobcats would start an 8-0 run with threes from Miles Brown and Hunter and a steal and a layup from Hunter, cutting the Ohio deficit to 26-23 with 7:03 remaining in the half. After CMU stopped the Ohio run with a layup, free throws from Hunter and a corner three from Miles Brown tied the game at 28-28, forcing CMU to call a timeout. Moments later, a dunk from Wilson III put Ohio up 30-28 with 3:36 remaining in the half. 
 
Out of the timeout, Clayton drained his second three of the game, before one from Miles Brown also fell. After a dunk from CMU stopped the Ohio run, a layup from Clayton with under a minute to go, put Ohio up 38-30 going into the half 
 
At the half, Ohio shot 46.4 percent from the field, 54.4 percent from three and were 6-of-10 from the line, while CMU shot 50 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from three and were 4-of-4 from the line. CMU outrebounded Ohio, 19-11, while the Bobcats dished out six assists. The Bobcats also forced 12 CMU turnovers, scoring 20 points off them. 
 
Individually, Hunter led the Bobcats with 11 points and three assists, while Miles Brown added nine points, while Clayton added eight points and three rebounds. 
 
Ohio opened the second half with the first points of the game with a layup from James, before a jumper from Baker put the Bobcats up 42-31 going into the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, the Bobcats held CMU without a field goal in the second half until the 11:32 mark in the second half. Over that time, Clayton, Hunter and AJ Brown all drained threes, while Baker hit free throws and Wilson III connected on a layup and a free throw, giving the Bobcats a 62-39 lead 10:14 remaining in the game. Out of the timeout, CMU went on a 6-0 run to cut the Ohio lead to 62-45 with 7:51 remaining in the game. 
 
Moments later, a layup from Wilson III and free throws from Clayton increased the Bobcats lead before a three from CMU cut the lead to 66-50 with 5:15 remaining in the game. After the CMU three, Ohio responded with a layup from Wilson III and a three from Miles Brown, giving the Bobcats a 71-51 lead with 3:29 remaining in the game. Over the remaining three minutes, CMU cut the Ohio lead to 73-59, but a three from Baker sealed Ohio's 76-59 win. 
 
For CMU, Reggie Bass scored 22 points, while Brian Taylor added 16 points and six rebounds. 
 
Up next, Ohio returns to Athens on Tuesday, Feb 21 to take on Northern Illinois Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Convocation Center. 
 
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