BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Ohio men's basketball team (7-8, 1-2 MAC) returned to action Tuesday night (Jan. 9), falling to Bowling Green (11-4, 2-1 MAC), 83-78, in a contested affair inside the Stroh Center 

Overall, the Bobcats shot 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. The Bobcats pulled down 31 rebounds, eight of them offensive, while also dishing out 18 assists. The Ohio bench put up 23 points, and the team as a whole had 34 points in the paint. Overall, the Falcons shot 49 percent from the field, 50 percent from three and 69 percent from the line, while grabbing 34 rebounds and dishing out 20 assists. 

Individually, the Bobcats were lead by sophomore guard Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) with 19 points and four rebounds as well as and graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) with 17 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Junior forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) lead the way with four assists for the Bobcats, while sophomore guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) added 10 points and sophomore forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) led Ohio with seven boards. 

To start the first half, the Bobcats won the tip and put up 11 points quickly within the first five minutes. The game was deadlocked early, with both teams shooting above 60 percent within the first eight minutes. Through the first eight, James lead the team with eight of their 17 points early on.

The Bobcats shot efficiently from the floor early on, but the game remained even, without either team gaining more than a four-point lead through 11 minutes. The stalemate continued later into the first quarter, with the Falcons or Bobcats not being able to pull away. Both teams cooled off from their early efficient shooting, but the Bobcats continued to put on the pressure. The Bobcats kept a one-possession game with under four minutes left in the half when Sheldon nabbed a steal and finished a fast break to cap it off. Sheldon then hit a corner three to cut the Falcon lead to two with two minutes left.

The Bobcats remained stout on defense, holding the Falcons off the scoreboard well throughout the latter half of the first. Senior center Gabe Wiznitzer (Walhalla, S.C.) laid in an offensive rebound to tie the game at 33 with a minute left in the first half..

At the half, the Bobcats trailed the Falcons 38-35 in a tight game. Overall, the Bobcats shot 44 percent from the field and 42 percent from behind the arc. The scoring effort was lead by James (eight points), Sheldon (seven), and Mitchell with seven. Redshirt sophomore forward Ike Cornish (Baltimore, Md.) lead the way with four total rebounds and eight different Bobcats recorded at least one assist in the first half.

To start the second half, James drove through the lane quickly to become the first Bobcat to score in double digits for the game, cutting the lead to one quickly. The Bobcats fell behind a quick run, but James was able to respond with a quick three to cut the lead back to three. Mitchell was able to grab his ninth point on a running layup, but the Bobcats went behind eight quickly after. Momentum stayed on the Bowling Green sideline, gaining a lead as high as 15.

The Bobcats then turned it around quickly, getting a layup from Cornish, a three from fifth year guard Miles Brown (Rochester, NY), and five consecutive points from Clayton. The Bobcats' momentum pulled them within five points in less than two minutes of game time. The lead remained at five for two minutes of game time before James was able to convert an and-one through a sizable amount of contact to bring the game to a one-possession game for the first time since the 16:40 mark in the second half. By the 5:30 mark, the Falcon lead would grow to eight, but a quick floater by Mitchell would see it go back down to six.

The Bobcats would continue to fight with under five minutes left, with Sheldon hitting a fadeaway three with four minutes left to bring it back to three. Mitchell would then lay it in the next possession to bring it back to one. Even with the momentum on their side, the Bobcats fell back behind five with a minute and a half to play. Yet, the Bobcats wouldn't go away, with Mitchell hitting a jumper to bring the lead back down to three once again with a minute left.

Unfortunately for the Bobcats' comeback hopes, the Falcons were able to hit a late three with 40 seconds left. James was able to draw contact and free throws, which he hit both of. The game then went into the intentional foul stage, which would lead to the conclusion and a final score of 83-78.

For BGSU, five Falcons scored in double figures, with Trey Thomas leading with 20 points and Rashaun Agee adding 12 points and 15 rebounds. 

The Bobcats will look to bounce back on the road against Western Michigan Saturday (Jan. 13) in Kalamazoo. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m., and the game can be seen on ESPN+.
 
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