Ohio has received a verbal commitment from Tipton (IN) High School center Ethan Jacobs. The 7-foot, 220-pounder helped Tipton to a 22-3 record as a junior last season. Jacobs' commitment is the first in John Groce's 2010 recruiting class. The Bobcats' offer was the first for Jacobs but his AAU play had been garnering him interest from Penn St., Purdue, Butler, Nebraska, Minnesota and Indiana. His verbal comes after a May 16th unofficial visit to Athens.

The Ohio Bobcats could not slow down the Bowling Green Falcons. So, the Falcons brought Ohio’s 2008-09 season to a screeching halt.

Nate Miller’s double-double led No. 1 Bowling Green to a 74-61 victory over the No. 9 ‘Cats in the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Thursday night. With the loss, Ohio finishes the season 15-17 and 8-10 in the conference.

Bowling Green (19-12, 12-5 MAC) earned a spot in the semifinals Friday night with great defense and a consistent offensive attack that the Bobcats could not stop. The Falcons led the whole way and pulled away late to earn a spot in the MAC semifinals for the first time since 2002.

Miller, who thrived down the stretch to help... <Read More>

As the final seconds of the first half ticked away at Quicken Loans Arena, Justin Orr threw up a three-quarter court prayer. In it went, but he had let it go way too late. The extra three points would have been nice, but as it turned out, the game ended up with enough drama. The No. 9 Ohio Bobcats (15-16, 8-9 MAC) gave up a four-point halftime lead for only one minute in the second half and hit big free throws down the stretch to beat No. 8 Western Michigan (10-21, 7-10 MAC), 62-55 Tuesday evening.

After their first four conference games of the season, it would have been almost unthinkable that the Bobcats would be playing on day one of the Mid-American Conference Tournament as a No. 9 seed. The Green and White, of course, were five points... <Read More>

The Ohio Bobcats watched the cutting of the nets by the Bowling Green Falcons after Sunday’s disaster. If Ohio has another performance like their showing Sunday afternoon, the ‘Cats will have left Cleveland well before the cutting of the nets at Quicken Loans Arena next Saturday.

Bowling Green scored 20 of the game’s first 23 points en route to a 75-41 beat down of the Bobcats at Anderson Arena. With the win and Miami’s overtime loss to Buffalo, the Falcons have secured the number one seed in the MAC Tournament and have earned a share of the MAC East title for the first time since 2000.

Ohio (14-16, 7-9 MAC) trailed 40-18 at the half and never showed any signs of life. As a team, the Bobcats shot 27.5 percent from the field and had 17... <Read More>

It didn't take long for the pace of the game to be set. Thirty-seven seconds into Ohio's (14-15, 7-8 MAC) second-to-last regular-season matchup at Akron (19-11, 10-5 MAC), there had already been a pair of jump balls. Seven minutes later, the Bobcats had managed eight turnovers and just four points compared to the Zips' 10 points on 15 shots. Luckily, the Zips felt the need to follow Ohio's lead, committing 10 turnovers of their own in the half. The 'Cats made up for the sloppy opening by going on a 10-0 run, however, to take their first lead of the game. The two teams combined for 24 giveaways in the half.

The two teams battled their own slippery hands along with each other through the rest of a muddy first stanza that included four... <Read More>

The Ohio Bobcats’ three seniors had great careers, but there will be an empty feeling after their Senior Day slipped away.

The Buffalo Bulls erupted for the final 10 points of the game to steal Sunday’s matinee from the Bobcats 68-66 in front of 4669 fans at the Convocation Center. The win marks the first time in 10 tries that UB has won at the Convocation Center.

“I’m really proud of our guys that we played with enough determination to stay in there,” Buffalo coach Reggie Witherspoon said. “They put us in a situation where we had to find some resolve…The guys didn’t get down on each other and kept fighting to the end.”

Rodney Pierce’s three-pointer with 27 seconds left, after an offensive rebound by Buffalo, gave Buffalo the lead at 67-66... <Read More>

The lights went out in the Convocation Center before the Ohio Bobcats’ (14-13, 7-6 MAC) game against the Miami RedHawks (15-11, 8-5 MAC), and the ‘Cats went lights out on their own on the floor, en route to a 75-56 victory Thursday night against their heated rivals.

From the game’s opening minutes, the Battle of the Bricks had virtually none—bricks, that is. Early on, it looked like the contest would be a battle of stars. Miami’s Michael Bramos, who finished with 14 points in the first half, opened up the scoring with the first of his three first-half three-pointers. Jerome Tillman, coming off a career-high 35 points Jan. 14 at Miami, quickly followed with a 19-footer and a triple of his own. But on the Bobcats’ side, that proved to be... <Read More>

The Ohio Bobcats (13-13, 6-6 MAC) entered their annual Bracketbusters game Saturday looking for their third non-conference win away from the Convocation Center (Their only other wins came in a 62-50 win against Indiana State on a neutral site Dec. 8 and a win at Austin Peay Nov. 22). But Eastern Kentucky (18-10, 10-6 Ohio Valley Conference), who sits in fifth place in the OVC, put up 42 points in the first half and did not let the ‘Cats come back. Ohio has now lost six of its last nine contests.

Ohio shot a respectable 45 percent from the field in a first half that included a 6-of-7 performance from Jerome Tillman, but it failed to stop the Colonels from shooting 66.7 percent from the field themselves. Eastern Kentucky got 12 first-half... <Read More>

The Ohio Bobcats (13-12, 6-6 MAC), looking for their second road conference win this season and their first season sweep against the Kent State Golden Flashes (15-11, 8-4 MAC) in the last eight years, were stopped short in a 64-51 loss to the Mid-American Conference's top defensive team Tuesday night at Kent State's MAC Center.

Big runs by both teams defined the game. The Bobcats hit the midway point of the first half with a 17-7 lead, but the Golden Flashes answered back over the next seven minutes with a 15-1 run during which Ohio had four turnovers and went 0-of-6 from the field. But the 'Cats refused to quit, ending the half on an 11-3 run of their own to give them a 29-25 lead at the break.

Despite the halftime advantage, the second... <Read More>

After a tough loss at Western Michigan Wednesday night, the Ohio Bobcats needed a win. The perfect recipe presented itself—a home game against a team that came into the day 4-20 overall and 0-12 on the road—and the ‘Cats took advantage.

The Bobcats took the lead 17 seconds into the game and never looked back in a 91-58 victory over the Toledo Rockets in front of 4,298 fans at the Convocation Center Saturday. With the win, Ohio is now 10-1 at home this season.

Ohio (13-11, 6-5 MAC) took a 39-29 lead into halftime, but the ‘Cats could not pull away from Toledo (4-21, 2-9 MAC). Once the second stanza rolled around, though, the Bobcats took over.

A 10-0 run after halftime, started by good defense and capped off by Tommy Freeman’s only... <Read More>

Ohio concluded the road segment of the MAC West slate Wednesday, and the Bobcats finished as the only team in the MAC East without a road victory in inter-conference play.

The Bobcats could not extend its winning streak to three, as the Western Michigan Broncos snapped a four-game losing streak with a 76-62 victory over the ‘Cats at University Arena in Kalamazoo, Mich.

Ohio (12-11, 5-5 MAC) shot the ball well, but they could not stop the surging Broncos on the defensive end. The Bobcats shot 22-of-44 from the field, which is good for 50 percent. Ohio also went 10-for-20 from beyond the arc, but only eight converted free throws in 12 attempts paled in comparison to WMU’s 18-of-25 from the charity stripe.

The Broncos (8-15, 5-5 MAC) had shot... <Read More>

The Eastern Michigan Eagles (3-20, 1-8 MAC) came into Saturday evening’s game at the Convocation Center as the worst team in the Mid-American Conference, having lost all 12 of their road games this season by an average of 16.5 points per game. Saturday’s game brought that stat to 13 straight, but the Ohio Bobcats (12-10, 5-4 MAC) had to work to make it happen.

The Bobcats’ match-up zone held the Eagles to just 20 points in the first half but the offense labored to keep up the pace on the other end of the floor. Ohio, which forced eight turnovers in the first half, struggled to take advantage of Eastern Michigan’s slippery fingers, managing to score just six points off the Eagle miscues. That would all change in the second half, however, as... <Read More>

Fresh off their worst offensive performance in over 18 years, the Ohio Bobcats exploded for their highest point total since senior day last season.

The Bobcats used a 21-0 run midway through the first half to cruise past the Huskies of Northern Illinois 89-59 in front of 3,016 fans Thursday at the Convocation Center. The victory snaps the Bobcats’ three-game losing streak and improves their home record to 8-1 on the season.

The Bobcats (11-10, 4-4 MAC) started their huge run at the 11:01 mark and shot 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe during the spurt. The Huskies (6-14, 2-6 MAC) missed 11 straight shots before finally ending the run with 4:28 left in the first stanza.

“We were really active and getting our hands on... <Read More>

The defense betrayed the Bobcats Thursday night against Central Michigan while the offense played well. Saturday afternoon, the opposite was true, but the result remained the same.

Ohio shot 34 percent, hit just one of 19 from beyond the arc and lost their third straight game in Muncie, Ind., to the Ball State Cardinals 51-44 at Worthen Arena. It was the worse offensive output by an Ohio squad since Jan. 5, 1991, in a 70-42 loss against Central Michigan.

“It has been a challenge,” Ohio coach John Groce said in his radio interview after the game. “We weren’t very good defensively on Thursday night, but we were really good offensively, so today we’re really good defensively and we’re really bad offensively. It seems like we’re patching holes... <Read More>

The Ohio men’s basketball team experienced a 23-hour postponement of Thursday’s game at Central Michigan. While there were some distractions, the result remained the same—Ohio struggles to win away from the Convocation Center.

The Bobcats and the Chippewas were even for the first 30 minutes, but Central Michigan played great defense against the ‘Cats down to stretch to snatch a 76-69 win over Ohio in front of 417 fans inside the Rose Arena in Mount Pleasant, Mich., Thursday.

Ohio (10-9, 3-3 MAC) led by two points halfway through the second half, but then the wheels fell off. The ‘Cats did not hit a field goal from the 10:30 mark until the 2:07 mark. The drought allowed CMU to go from a two-point deficit to a 10-point lead and can be blamed... <Read More>

Due to inclement weather, Ohio's 8 PM contest tonight at Central Michigan has been postponed. The game is tentatively rescheduled for Thursday at 7 PM.

Justin Orr’s game-winning attempt as time expired fell short, allowing Bowling Green to escape the Convo with a 52-51 victory over the Ohio Bobcats in front of a season-high 10,988 people Saturday on Dad’s Weekend at Ohio University.

The Falcons (9-9, 2-3 MAC) took the lead with 44.8 seconds left on a jumper by Darryl Clemens from the right elbow. After a 30-second timeout, BG’s Marc Larson fouled Tuesday night’s hero, DeVaughn Washington, to send the sophomore to the line. However, Washington missed both free throws.

On the ensuing possession, Clemens caught a long baseball pass off the inbound, but Jerome Tillman blocked his shot, giving the ‘Cats a chance to win the game.

Ohio (10-8, 3-2 MAC) had three opportunities in the final ten... <Read More>

KVK’s points and minutes slowly increasing

Kenneth van Kempen is not a superstar. He will not light up the scoreboard every night. But the junior is improving his game, gaining his coach’s confidence and contributing at a thin spot on the ‘Cats’ roster.

The 6-foot-10-inch center from The Netherlands is averaging 3.4 points per game in 16.1 minutes per contest, both career highs. KVK’s offense has improved because of more fluid post moves and a more consistent jump shot. He also snatches 2.4 rebounds per game.

“Probably the best [improvement] is my inside moves,” van Kempen said about his recent success. “When I came [to Ohio, I was] more like a perimeter shooter…I had to learn [inside moves].

After a solid freshman year, KVK... <Read More>

In their second-to-last regular season game last season, the Ohio Bobcats were looking to redeem a season whose rough final stretch had killed early hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The 'Cats would need to beat Akron and Buffalo in the final two games of the season to remain undefeated at the Convocation Center, but the Zips played spoiler, topping the 'Cats 80-77 and bringing Ohio its first home loss in its previous 15 games.

This past Tuesday night, although Akron (9-8, 1-3 MAC) looked to play spoiler again and give the 'Cats their second home loss in their previous 22 games, the Bobcats (10-7, 3-1 MAC) got their revenge with a 70-65 overtime victory over those same Zips.

Senior point guard Michael Allen, who came into... <Read More>

The Ohio Bobcats came into Saturday evening’s matchup against the Buffalo Bulls looking to do something they had not done in 12 years: win six in a row. The ‘Cats had their chances, but missed opportunities and blown leads ended up handing Ohio (9-7, 2-1 MAC) its first Mid-American Conference loss of the season, a 70-66 nail biter at Buffalo’s Alumni Arena.

Buffalo (10-5, 2-1 MAC) opened up on fire, knocking down its first three three-pointers and taking an eight-point lead a quarter of the way into the first half. The ‘Cats refused to let the deficit get out of hand, however, as they outscored the Bills 32-18 over the final 14 minutes of the half to take a 37-31 halftime lead.

Jerome Tillman, coming off the best offensive performance by... <Read More>

Kyle Robertson Photo BobcatAttack.com Image Archive

Ohio head coach John Groce reminded Jerome Tillman this week about the senior’s 3-6 record against Miami in his career. Tillman got the message.

Tillman scored a career-high 35 points, including Ohio’s first 18 points in the second half, to lead the Bobcats to a 66-62 win over the team’s biggest rival, the Miami RedHawks, at Millett Hall Wednesday night. It is the first win for Ohio in Oxford since 2003.

“I think I just got comfortable,” Tillman said in his postgame radio interview about his incredible second half spurt. “Guys were finding me. The coaches were running some plays…I was just trying to get to get myself around the rim and find the hole.”

Ohio (9-6, 2-0 MAC) led the entire second half, mainly because of Tillman’s 18-point run... <Read More>

Reliving Freeman’s scorching shooting Sunday

What a day Tommy Freeman had Sunday. What an unexpected day.

The sophomore scored a modest 7.7 points per game in the non-conference schedule. The sharpshooter never seemed to get into a rhythm, and his title as the “next Bubba Walther” seemed somewhat outlandish. Then Sunday came, and Freeman elevated his game and found his stroke.

Freeman scored a career-high 18 points, 13 of which came in the second stanza. During the middle of the second half, he scored 11 of the Bobcats’ 14 points from the 11:42 mark until his jumper with 5:22 remaining.

“When you’re a shooter, you just kind of get that confidence once you hit one or two shots,” Freeman said. “It gives you the confidence to keep... <Read More>

Ryan Carey Photo

The Ohio Bobcats tried to give the Kent State Golden Flashes the come-from-behind victory in the final two minutes, but their free throw shooting would not allow it.

Ohio made all ten of its free throws in the final three minutes to escape with a 71-65 win over the defending MAC Champions in both teams’ conference opener Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center.

“We’ve shot them pretty well most of the year,” Ohio coach John Groce said. “Today we made some big ones down the stretch. To go 10-for-10 when the game’s hanging in the balance says a lot about our guys.”

The Bobcats (8-6, 1-0 MAC) scored the first four points after the final media timeout to take a 63-55 lead with 1:17 left. But a 10-4 Kent State run, capped off by a tough... <Read More>

Additional Coverage: Game Statistics  (Ohio Bobcats.com) Men's Basketball Opens MAC Play with 71-65 Win Over Kent State  (Ohio Bobcats.com) Freeman leads the way for Bobcats in victory  (The Post) Bobcats take down Kent State for MAC win  (Lancaster Eagle-Gazette) 1-2 punch lifts Bobcats  (Columbus Dispatch) No happy homecoming for KSU coach Ford in Flashes' loss to Ohio  (Ravenna Record-Courier) Ohio goes deep late to beat Flashes  (Cleveland Plain Dealer) Freeman shoots Ohio past Flashes  (Athens Messenger) Exclusive BobcatAttack.com Multimedia:   Kent State @ Ohio

Like Ohio’s John Groce, Ford learning the craft of coaching

There are many storylines to the Ohio Bobcats’ conference opener against Kent State Sunday afternoon, and arguably the biggest is the return of Geno Ford to the Convocation Center.

This is not Ford’s first trip to Athens in the opposing Navy Blue and Gold. An assistant with the Golden Flashes from 2002-05 and again last season, Ford has visited the Convo without an Ohio jersey in the past. But never has the fifth-highest scorer in Bobcat basketball history invaded Athens as a head coach.

Like the ‘Cats, Kent State had an up-and-down non-conference season. After a 3-0 start, the Golden Flashes lost five straight, including two in overtime. Ford’s squad rebounded to win four... <Read More>

(In addition to the game stories posted on BobcatAttack.com, we will be bringing you some feature stories throughout the MAC season. Today, Ohio coach John Groce is featured. Tomorrow, we will get Geno Ford’s perspective on the Ohio-Kent State game Sunday and his return to Athens. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or criticisms, please feel free to e-mail me at bb216106@ohio.edu.)

Groce provides his own scouting report

Only 13 games into his coaching career, Ohio men’s basketball head coach John Groce is sure of one thing—it isn’t easy.

“As soon as you think you’re getting better in certain things,” Groce said Tuesday after practice, “then you practice and you realize you still got a long way to go.”... <Read More>

A dominant second half and 28 points from Jerome Tillman propelled the Ohio Bobcats men’s basketball team to an 85-67 victory over the Bison of Bucknell Saturday afternoon at the Convocation Center. With the win, Ohio clinched its fifth consecutive 5-0 start at home and its 26th straight non-conference victory in Athens.

Tillman had a monster performance for the Green and White, especially inside. The senior came up with his 24th career double-double by netting 15 rebounds, one away from his season high. Tillman shot 10-of-16 from the field and made all eight of his free throws.

“That’s what we need, the inside presence,” Tillman said. “I just wanted to post up a little bit more and try to make some things happen.”

“Our guys did a good job... <Read More>

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