Bobcats lull Central to bed

by Paul Shugar
Staff Writer

The home court environment might not have been the same, but the Ohio basketball team played the same way at The Convo.

In front of a tame crowd of 5,500, Ohio (14-8 overall, 9-5 Mid-American Conference) downed Central Michigan (7-14, 4-9) 64-50 in MAC action last night.

"Yeah, it was quiet, but it was no different because we needed to play because it was a big game and we needed a win," forward Sonny Johnson said.

The Bobcats did not seem to need help from the crowd to get jump started. Forward Brandon Hunter scored six points to lead a 10-2 Ohio run in the first five minutes. Central Michigan slowed down the tempo of the game, but the Chippewas could not get going offensively.

Ohio stretched its lead to 26-6 with 8:06 left in the first half. Central Michigan did not hit double digits until 5:06 before halftime.

Johnson came off the bench to lead all scorers in the first half. He tallied 13, and Hunter scored 12, while Ohio shot 48.1 percent from the floor. The Bobcats, however, did not need to shoot the lights out. Central Michigan shot 20 percent from the floor in the first half.

The pace slowed down even more to end the quarter to complement the lethargic crowd. Ohio added four points in the final four minutes to end the half with a 34-15 lead.

The last time Ohio held a team to 15 points in the first half was against Western Michigan in the first round of the MAC Tournament Mar. 1, 2000. Holding the Chippewas to 50 for the game is the lowest total the Bobcats have allowed this season.

Central Michigan showed some energy at the start of the second half. Guard David Webber helped spark a 6-2 run in the first three minutes. Hunter responded with a strong dunk over Chippewas center Chris Kaman with the foul to swing the momentum back in Ohio’s favor.

The slam started a 9-0 run that gave Ohio a 25-point lead—the largest of the game—after a jumper by forward Steve Esterkamp.

Despite improved defense in the second half, the Chippewas could not put together a good run to pull any closer. Central Michigan outscored Ohio 35-30 in the second half.      

"I think we played a very conservative second half," Ohio coach Tim O’Shea said. "With a big lead I just wanted to run the clock out as much as I could every possession, and we did a good job of that. That is why we didn’t score as many points."

Hunter led all Ohio scorers with 21 points, and Johnson chipped in 18 for the Bobcats. Kaman led Central Michigan with 13 points.

Hunter said rest would be the key for Ohio before Saturday’s game against Marshall.

"My legs weren’t tired; I was just mentally tired with three games in five days, and we just got beat at Miami," he said. "At a certain point we have to decide what kind of team we are, and we can’t lose at home."

National television coverage on ESPN might help wake up the team. The Bobcats meet Marshall 4 p.m. Saturday at Cam Henderson Center in Huntington, W. Va.