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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio men's basketball team closed out 2024 and nonconference play on Monday evening (Dec. 30), defeating Muskingum, 103-52, in The Convo. The victory marked Ohio's (6-6) fifth-straight at home. 

The Bobcats spent just under five minutes without the lead the entire game with the help of its stellar shooting. They had an overall-best shooting performance. Their 64.1% from the field was the Bobcats' best of the season, and the fifth time they've shot over 50%. 

Freshman Elijah Elliott (Orlando, Fla.) led the team with a career-high 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double as a Bobcat. He shot 4-for-7 from the field, and 3-for-5 from the line. The guard also played a career-high 20 minutes in the win. 

"it just felt great, being able to go out there and give them my all. I really feel like it just starts with going hard every day in practice," Elliott said. "It's not always going to be pretty, but you've got to every day, come in and be ready for whatever opportunity you get."

Redshirt freshman Ben Nicol (Charleston, W. Va.) also registered a career-high point total with eight on the evening. He shot 3-for-5 from the field and 2-for-4 beyond the arc. 

Ohio as a whole performed well from 3-point range, marking the second-straight game it tallied a season-high. Ohio bested it's previous 50% with a 55.6% finish from beyond the arc on Monday. Everyone who shot a 3-pointer made one, with junior Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) and senior AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) each knocking down three. 

"We shared the basketball. The shot attempts were pretty evenly distributed and they played the right way," head coach Jeff Boals said. 

The Bobcat defense also came to work, earning the Fighting Muskies (5-5) the lowest point total of any Bobcat opponent this season. The Fighting Muskies also had the lowest shooting percentage of any opponent this season at 31%. Part of that is due to the Bobcats dominating the boards. They racked up 44 rebounds compared to the Fighting Muskies' 29. 



Ohio kicks off Mid-American Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 4 when the Bobcats head to Central Michigan. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. and the game can be viewed on ESPN+. 

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