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ATHENS, Ohio – After a week on the road, the Ohio Men's Basketball team (11-9, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) returned to the Convocation Center Tuesday night (Jan. 20) for a Mid-American Conference matchup with Northern Illinois (6-12, 2-5 MAC). After a missed game-tying three-point attempt from Northern Illinois and four double-digit scorers for Ohio, the Bobcats came out on top 80-77. 

"The biggest thing was protecting home court," Ohio head coach Jeff Boals said. "We had a couple of opportunities late in the game and gave up an offensive rebound when we should have gotten it. But the biggest thing was responding the right way and coming in and protecting home court."

The Bobcats shot the ball well from three against the Huskies, converting on eight shots. As a team, Ohio shot 50 percent from the field with 27 total field goals. On the glass, the Bobcats grabbed 28 rebounds, including 21 on defense. The team forced 17 turnovers while blocking seven shots. 

Ohio was led in scoring by senior guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly, Wis.), who tallied 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Freshman guard JJ Kelly (Chambersburg, Pa.) had a career night with a career-high 17 points and nine rebounds. Senior forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) scored 18 points in the contest while leading the team with six assists. 

"I thought he (JJ Kelly) played a great floor game on both ends," Boals said. "He gave us some great movement offensively without the basketball, and he's done that all year. Those nine rebounds were big. He got a couple of offensive boards in there as well, but he's as athletic as anybody on the floor."

Kelly got things started for the Bobcats, scoring five points with a block and two rebounds in the first five minutes of the game. The freshman got things going with a corner three before driving to the bucket for a two to give Ohio a 5-4 lead early. 

The offense picked up for Ohio with an impressive sequence that started with a Hadaway three to give the Bobcats the lead. A steal then led to a fastbreak layup for Kelly on the ensuing possession before a later three by senior guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) capped off an 8-0 run and an 18-11 Ohio lead. 

The 8-0 run was a catalyst for what was to come down the stretch in the first half for the Bobcats. A steady offensive effort mixed with good defense led to a 30-19 lead for the Bobcats with under five to play in the first. 

The Huskies would close the deficit in the final minute of the half with a 7-0 run, which would give Ohio just a 32-30 lead going into the locker room. 



The Bobcats started the second half just how they did the first, with a three. Hadaway got open in the corner for a score to get the offense going. With just over 15 minutes to play in the game, the Bobcats and the Huskies were tied at 39. 

Neither team was able to pull away early in the second half, with both picking up the scoring. Kelly continued his career day, eclipsing his career high with 12 minutes still to play and giving the Bobcats a 52-48 lead. 

Ohio was the team that found a way to build a lead midway through the second half, thanks to a 12-1 run highlighted by three three-point jumpers from senior guard Dior Conners (Columbus, Ohio), resulting in a 66-53 lead. 

The Bobcats maintained their lead down the stretch, with good shooting from several different players on the court. Paveletzke facilitated an efficient offense, recording 19 points and two assists in the second half. 

Northern Illinois would bring the game down to the final shot but was ultimately unable to convert, as Ohio took the win 80-77. 

Up next, the Bobcats will return to the Convocation Center for a matchup with Akron this Friday, Jan. 23. That matchup will tip-off at 8 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPNU. 

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