Ohio looks for new style

by Paul Shugar
Staff Writer

If the Ohio men’s basketball team’s Mid-American Conference schedule is a pattern in fabric, then the Bobcats weave is a zigzag pattern of highs and lows.

Ohio (14-8 overall, 9-5 MAC) tries to break the pattern against Marshall (11-11, 5-7) Saturday. Ohio has failed to sweep a MAC-East division foe this season. A win against the Thundering Herd is the last chance the Bobcats have to beat a division opponent twice.

While Ohio has been hot inside The Convo, the Bobcats have not beaten MAC East teams on their own turf. The Bobcats lone road win against a division conference team is against Akron, but the Zips prevented a sweep by giving Ohio its only conference loss in The Convo.

The pattern does not bode well for the Bobcats as they travel to Cam Henderson Center. Marshall’s home court is traditionally a tough place to play, and the Thundering Herd is 6-3 at home this season.

"Of course now we are going to have to see if we can break this road funk we are in at Huntington," coach Tim O’Shea said. "I have no special plan for that. Hopefully we’ll have a good game plan and we do have (forward) Brandon (Hunter) back for that game"

Marshall did not have to worry about Hunter in the 94-78 Ohio win Feb. 2. Hunter missed the game because of a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules. Hunter is Ohio’s top scorer with 17.9 points per game.

Ohio pulled out the win without Hunter and slowed Marshall’s inside force of forward J.R. VanHoose. VanHoose averages a double double with 14.9 ppg and 11.1 rebounds per game. He leads the MAC in rebounding.

Guard Tamar Slay is Marshall’s leading scorer averaging 18 ppg, but he also had an off night with VanHoose against Ohio. Slay was held to 14 in the game, but guard Ronald Blackshear did give the Bobcats fits.

Blackshear lit Ohio up for 30 points, but Marshall could do nothing to stop Ohio’s offense.            Forwards Steve Esterkamp and Sonny Johnson scored 29 and 26 respectively to lead five Ohio players in double figures.

Forward Jon Sanderson, one of the players who hit double digits, said the team matches up well with Marshall.

"Marshall is a really talented team and I think their record is a little bit deceiving because they are definitely a much better team than how they are playing right now," he said. "Slay is a hard match up because he is a tall guard, but we have (Jason) Crawford as a guard and he is a good defender. We’ll look to him to lock him up.

This Marshall game is the third game for Ohio this week. Ohio quietly beat Central Michigan 64-50 Wednesday. Allowing 50 points is the best defensive effort by the Bobcats all season, but anemic offense is not Ohio’s style. The Bobcats are fourth in the MAC averaging 76.0 ppg. Marshall ranks third in the conference with 76.8 ppg.

Ohio is the best shooting team in the conference. The Bobcats hit 49.4 percent of their shots from the field.

Guard Zach Kiekow said the team is ready to play.

"Of course we are going to be ready to play after dropping three games on the road to teams we have beaten at home," Kiekow said. "We are going to come out and play whether the game is on ESPN or not, and get this road victory to make a statement that we can win games on the road.

Ohio tries to start a new pattern in front of a national television audience 4 p.m. Saturday at Cam Henderson Center in Huntington W.Va.