ATHENS – Ohio connected on eight of its first nine shots to build a lead and then scored the final six points to hold off Valparaiso, 76-72, on Sunday at The Convo.

Maurice Ndour scored 23 points and added six rebounds, five blocks and four steals to lead the Bobcats (2-1). Nick Kellogg drained four 3-pointers and scored 16 points and Ricardo Johnson and T.J. Hall each finished with 11 points.

LaVonte Dority had 20 points to lead the Crusaders (2-2).

Ndour scored 13 points in the first half, including his team’s first nine points, as Ohio built a 40-28 advantage.

“I was able to find my spots and get some open shots,” Ndour said. “I took the shots when I found myself in good position.”

The Bobcats led by as many as 16 points on a fast break layup by Stevie Taylor following a Travis Wilkins steal with 9:49 remaining.

The Crusaders, though, responded with seven straight points to cut their deficit to single digits. They still trailed by nine with 4:30 left when they went on a 10-0 lead to take a one-point lead on a steal and layup by Alec Peters with 2:49 remaining.

Hall split a pair at the line to tie the game at 70, while Jordan Coleman made two free throws for Valparaiso to put it up 72-70 at the 2:18 mark, but that was the last time the Crusaders scored.

Ndour knocked down a free throw and Johnson hit two with 1:31 remaining to put Ohio back on top, 73-72. After two missed Peters jumpers, Kellogg hit two foul shots with 24 seconds to go. Dority was blocked by Ndour and Colmean missed a 3-point attempt, with Johnson securing the rebound and hitting one foul shot in the final seconds to secure the win.

“Myself, [Nick] Kellogg, and Ricardo [Johnson] have played in big games before,” Hall said. “When we got down by one, we didn’t feel any pressure. We just said get a stop and we’d be OK.”

Ohio’s hot shooting start included 3-pointers by Ndour, Hall and back-to-back treys by Kellogg on four straight possessions, giving the Bobcats an 18-8 lead. Ndour had a steal four a breakaway dunk at the 15:15 mark to extend the lead to 12. The Bobcats’ biggest lead of the first half was in the final minute on a steal and layup by Taylor that made it 40-26.

“Defensively in the first half that is probably the best we’ve played all year,” Ohio coach Jim Christian said. “Our rotations were phenomenal and we played hard."

Valparaiso closed to within four only four minutes into the second half before Ohio responded with a run of its own. Kellogg hit a 3-pointer and then went coast-to-coast for a layup. Hall added three free throws to cap an 8-0 run.

The Crusaders shot just 37 percent from the field but went 26 of 32 at the foul line and had 16 offensive rebounds to stay in the game despite 19 turnovers. The Bobcats connected on 43.9 percent of their attempts and had only nine turnovers.

Jon Smith led Ohio with seven rebounds and added seven points, four blocks and two steals. Taylor had four assists, two steals and four points.

“Everybody on our team who has stepped on the floor this year has played hard for us,” Christian said. “Our depth is the strength of our team. We are going to have to keep developing guys and getting guys better. Every game is different and we are trying to find consistency. The work ethic and things the team has been built upon is stepping up.

Peters had 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for Valparaiso. Coleman finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.

Ohio hits the road for a game at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.