Men travel to Toledo

by Bill Bender
Staff Writer

It’s hard to tell which way the wind blows in the middle of January.

The Ohio men's basketball team has taken the winning direction, while Toledo's season might be melting with the snow. Ohio (11-6, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) travels to Toledo (12-7, 4-4) with a 6-1 mark for the month.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have suffered a bit of a meltdown. Toledo's loss to Marshall on Monday was its fourth straight, and the losing streak has knocked the Rockets from first to fourth in the MAC West standings.

Despite Toledo's recent slide, Ohio coach Larry Hunter said Ohio is expecting a tough Rockets team.

"It's like going into a mad hornet's nest at Toledo," Hunter said. "We're going with the mindset to a give a great effort."

Ohio has used the efforts of the MAC’s leading shot blocker. Center Patrick Flomo earned MAC East Player of the Week honors for his performances against Northern Illinois and Buffalo. He hit 10 of 10 shots from the field and rejected 12 shots in the two Ohio victories.

Toledo will throw forward Greg Stempin into the pit against Flomo. Stempin, a two-time All-MAC selection and a candidate for MAC Player of the Year, ignites the Rockets with his averages of 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.

Flomo said the team gives Stempin the same respect it gives all opponents.

"We're not going to treat him any differently," Flomo said. "For me, it's a personal thing. It's kind of up to me to stop him."

Stempin is not the only scoring machine in the Toledo offense. Point guard Terry Reynolds adds 14.2 points and 5.1 assists, while Forward Robierre Cullars contributes an additional 10.6 ppg.

Toledo uses a lot of full-court pressure, just like the Bobcats. The two teams are tied for the MAC lead in three-point field goals with 133. In a game that might be paced at a feverish pitch, Ohio forward Brandon Hunter said the Bobcats must focus on shutting the Rockets down defensively.

"We're going to have to shake people up," Brandon Hunter said. "We will have to be safe with the ball, pressure people and most importantly bring our defense."

Although the Ohio defense gives up 71.4 points a game, the Bobcats hold opponents to a .413 field goal percentage – first in the MAC.

Offensively, Hunter remains the team's leading scorer and rebounder. Guards Anthony Jones and Dustin Ford contribute 13.8 and 9.7 points per game, respectively.

Larry Hunter said the Bobcats have to succeed on both ends of the floor to close out the month with a win.

"We can't concede anything," Larry Hunter said. "We're going to have to go in and make it a war."

The Bobcats and Rockets battle at 7 tonight in Savage Hall.