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Ohio took its chance to play in the Q for the first time this season and ran with it. A strong run to begin the second half had the Bobcats sitting on the pretty end of a 76-67 score Saturday afternoon.
The Bobcats ran all over the Vikings in the second half, going on a 15-4 run to start the half, with 9 of those points coming via Jordan Dartis 3-pointers. Dartis took advantage of his first career start (in place of the defensive-minded Khari Harley) and figures to see even more time after his 5-9 effort from 3-point land. He was already seeing more significant minutes than Harley, but his ability to stretch the floor while helping Jaaron Simmons run the offense is proving really fruitful.
Antonio Campbell led the way with 23 points on 10-15 shooting and 10 rebounds in what was a career-day for him.
It was a bit of a sluggish first half at times, but it was still a well-played first half in terms of offense. Ohio found its footing late in the half and snatched a 36-34 lead going into the break. The referees let things be, as the the two teams combined to shoot just 3 free throws in the first half.
Jaaron Simmons had a nice opening period with 11 points and 3 assists. His play fueled the jump from down 30-26 to up 36-32. Two buckets and an assist in that time frame helped put Ohio up. The 'Cats never trailed again. Simmons completed the afternoon with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Treg Setty earned some hustle points to help, finishing with 8 points and 6 rebounds.
Ohio led by as much as 17 but took a few too many 3-pointers early in the shot clock as the game came down to its end, allowing Cleveland State to push the pace and get some buckets back.The 'Cats yielded 34 total points to the duo of Andre Yates and Rob Edwards, but the Vikings were not able to get points off of 12 Ohio turnovers, a category that has doomed Ohio in some games this season. The 42 points in the pain were also a welcome sight for an Ohio team that really needed a strong performance from its bigs. Campbell gave the 'Cats what they needed today.
Next time Ohio plays in the Q, it'll be playing for something a bit more special. For now, it'll take its' satisfactory fifth win.