Ohio roars into Central Michigan

by Bill Bender
Staff Writer

Tragedies might come in threes, but the Bobcats are hoping victories come in greater numbers - starting with four.

The Ohio men's basketball team shoots for its fourth straight win tonight against the Central Michigan Chippewas. CMU is coming off a 73-71 overtime win at home against Western Michigan Monday.

The match-up brings the Mid-American Conference East and West players of the week together on the same court. Ohio (8-5, 3-1) forward Brandon Hunter netted MAC East Player of the week honors, while Central Michigan (9-4, 3-1) guard David Webber took the award in the MAC West.

Webber leads a Chippewas team that upset Purdue early in the season. Although his brother Chris gets a little more attention playing with the NBA's Sacramento Kings, David Webber has made a name for himself in the MAC. From the shooting guard slot, Webber leads the Chippewas in scoring with 19.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds.

Ohio coach Larry Hunter said Webber is not Central Michigan's only threat.

"Webber's as hard to guard as anybody in the league," Hunter said. "They have some big guys that can shoot a little bit too. And they've added some big freshmen."

Centers Chris Kaman (7 foot) and Gerrit Brigitha (6 feet 8 inches) are the two mountains of youth for Central Michigan: Neither big man misses much. Kaman and Brigitha boast high field goal percentages at .620 and .574, respectively. Forward Chad Pleiness, who is second on the team in scoring and rebounding, adds another post threat to Central Michigan's arsenal.

The battle inside will pit Kaman, Brigitha and Pleiness against Ohio's Patrick Flomo and Brandon Hunter.

Flomo is the last line of defense for the Bobcats. In Ohio's overtime thriller against Miami, Flomo swatted eight shots to increase his season total to 45.

Flomo said the Bobcats need to play solid defense.

"We're going to have to play good help defense," Flomo said. "To win on the road, you have to play with high intensity and concentration."

CMU's defense might have to focus on Brandon Hunter. He shredded Kent and Miami last week, scoring 25 points in both victories. Hunter pulled down a career-high 19 boards against the RedHawks.

Ohio guard Anthony Jones, who added double digits in the win against Miami, has helped carry the scoring load for the Bobcats. He is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per game and leads the team in assists and steals. Jones, who must guard CMU's Webber, said the Bobcats are worrying about themselves before they worry about the Chippewas.

"We're concerned with ourselves," Jones said. "We need to get together and play better. Defense and rebounding are the keys to winning on the road."

The Chippewas and Bobcats clash at 7 p.m. tonight.