DEKALB, Ill. – The Ohio men's basketball team (15-13, 9-6 MAC) returned to action on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 21), defeating Northern Illinois (9-17, 4-10 MAC), 74-66, inside NIU Convocation Center. With the win, the Bobcats clinched a spot in the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament in Cleveland.

Overall, Ohio shot 46.1 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three and were 16-of-24 from the line, while NIU shot 50 percent from the field, 47.1 percent from three and were 6-of-12 from the line. Ohio outrebounded NIU, 31-30, while both teams dished out 16 assists each. Ohio also forced 14 NIU turnovers and scored 22 points off them.

Redshirt junior forward Javan Simmons (Columbus, Ohio) scored a game-high 23 points, going 9-of-10 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds. Senior guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberly, Wis.) added 14 points, four rebounds and six assists, while senior forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) added 13 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Senior guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) added nine points, while freshman JJ Kelly (Chambersburg, Pa.) recorded five points and three rebounds.

Ohio won the tip and got on the board first with free throws from Paveletzke. After the teams traded baskets, a jumper from Paveletzke put the Bobcats up one, before a layup from NIU gave the Huskies a 9-8 lead going into the first media timeout. Out of the break, a three from redshirt sophomore guard Jesse Burris (Delaware, Ohio) and a jumper from Paveletzke gave the Bobcats a 13-9 lead with 11:51 remaining in the half. Ohio took a 16-9 lead before a three from NIU stopped the Bobcats run. Ohio responded with a dunk from Simmons, free throws from Burris and a layup from Hadaway gave Ohio 22-12 lead before another three from NIU cut into the Ohio lead. However, a layup from Simmons gave Ohio a 24-17 lead with 6:50 to go in the half.

Out of the break, a three-point play from Conner put Ohio up 10, before a three from Hadaway put the Bobcats up 30-17, forcing NIU to call a 30 second timeout. After NIU cut the lead to 30-20, a three from Sheldon gave the Bobcats a 33-20 lead entering the final media timeout. A layup from Simmons gave Ohio a 15-point lead, before the Huskies 5-0 cut the Ohio lead to 10. However, a Simmons with under a minute to go gave the Bobcats a 37-25 lead entering the break.

At the half, Ohio shot 48.1 percent from the field, 27.3 percent from three and were 8-of-10 from the line, while NIU shot 45.5 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from three and were 1-of-2 from the line. Ohio outrebounded Ohio, 14-12, while the Bobcats forced 10 NIU turnovers and scored 12 points off them.

Simmons led Ohio with 14 points, followed by Paveletzke with seven.

NIU opened the second half on an 8-0 run to cut the Ohio lead to four, forcing an Ohio timeout with 17:18 left in the game. Out of the break, a three from Paveletzke stopped the NIU run. After the Huskies hit a free throw, another three from Sheldon put the Bobcats up 43-34 with 15:43 remaining. Out of the timeout another Sheldon three increased the Ohio lead, forcing a timeout from NIU with 14:48 remaining. Out of the timeout, NIU cut the Bobcats lead to seven, before a jumper from Hadaway and a layup from Simmons helped give Ohio a 52-44 lead at the under-12 media timeout.

Out of the break, a three-point play from Simmons gave Ohio a seven-point lead, a layup from Hadaway and a dunk from Kelly put the Bobcats up 60-49 with 8:30 remaining. However, NIU came out of the break on a 7-0 run, cutting the Ohio lead to four with 6:30 to go. After another NIU three cut the Ohio lead to 63-59, a three-point play from Simmons and a free throw from Paveletzke put the Bobcats back up 10 entering the final media timeout.

Out of the timeout, a jumper from Paveletzke and a dunk form Kelly gave the Bobcats a 14-point lead, before a layup from NIU stopped the Bobcats run. After a free throw from Paveletzke, NIU hit a layup to try and cut into the Ohio lead, but there was not enough time for the Huskies to complete the comeback, with the Bobcats winnings, 74-66.

Up next, the Bobcats have the midweek off and will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 28 when the Bobcats host Toledo. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET inside the Convocation Center and can be seen on ESPN+. The game will also be Senior Night for the Bobcats.

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