Hustle Belt - 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament CoverageMAC Football, MAC Basketball, MAC Recruiting, MAC Baseball and all of the other #MACtion hijinks in between - hustlebeltblog@gmail.comhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50387/hustle-fav.png2014-03-26T23:28:35-04:00http://www.hustlebelt.com/rss/stream/52810812014-03-26T23:28:35-04:002014-03-26T23:28:35-04:00Ohio's Season Comes to an End in Loss to Keydets
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<figcaption>Nick Kellogg drops 30 in his final college game, a loss to VMI. | Kevin C. Cox</figcaption>
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<p>Ohio hosted its third straight CIT game but fell to the Virginia Military Institute Keydets in a barn burner.
</p> <p><span>Nick Kellogg</span> lifted up from the right wing and buried a 3-pointer as time expired to increase his total as the all-time MAC & Ohio 3-point basket leader. Unfortunately that basket left the Ohio Bobcats just short at a final score of 92-90, as they fell to the VMI Keydets in Athens, Ohio on Wednesday night.</p>
<p>Both teams picked up the bulk of their scoring from two players. VMI received outstanding efforts from seniors <span>D.J. Covington</span> and <span>Rodney Glasgow</span>. Covington, the 6'9'' force of a forward scored 29 points and pulled down 11 boards in a dominating effort. Glasgow showcased an excellent shooting stroke and a great ability to take Ohio defenders off of the dribble in scoring 30 points while going 4-of-6 from downtown. Glasgow also dished out five assists.</p>
<p>"They played really, really well" said Ohio head coach Jim Christian of the Keydets. "They made every big shot, they made every free throw, I give them credit."</p>
<p>Kellogg, in his final game in the Convocation Center, put together a doozy of a performance, going 9-of-14 from the field while making 6-of-10 from 3-point land.</p>
<p><span>Maurice Ndour</span> showed no signs of the back troubles that have plagued him as of late, and came out on fire. Ndour missed his first shot with 11:57 left in the game, and had gone 9-of-9 from the field up to that point.</p>
<p>Ohio was able to keep its turnovers to three in the first, which was a big part of the 'Cats jumping out to a seven-point halftime lead.</p>
<p>Though Ohio led by as much as 16 (32-16) in the first half, the Keydets went on a 14-4 run over four minutes to cut the Ohio lead to six with 4:42 left in the half. The two squads fought to a 46-39 halftime score. It was the second half that did the Bobcats in.</p>
<p>VMI came out in the second half guns blazing and overtook the Bobcats about six minutes into the half on a long 3-pointer by Glasgow from the top of the key to put the Keydets up 54-53. The two squads followed by taking their best blows at one another. <span>Stevie Taylor</span> put Ohio back up one with a layup before Glasglow answered right back with another trey.</p>
<p>The game continued as such for a few minutes before VMI grabbed some semblance of control with 9:26 left in the game when <span>Tim Marshall</span> hit a dagger of a 3-pointer to put Ohio down 70-62.</p>
<p>The Keydets extended that lead to as much as 12 before the Bobcats roared back as Ohio fans have become accustomed to seeing. Down 84-72 with 3:55 left, the 'Cats scored 11 of the game's next 13 points. Kellogg and Ndour combined for nine of those points. But with under a minute left, Ohio used up the shot clock and did not get the hot-shooting Kellogg the ball. Instead, Taylor threw up a contested 25-foot shot that fell short and put the ball back in VMI hands. A layup and free throws sealed the deal, and the fate of Ohio's season.</p>
<p>"Like I said a million times ... the resiliency of this group to come back in games and play through injuries, guys got hurt and all that stuff, you know, there's a lot to build on" said Christian.</p>
<p>Ohio did struggle at times with the lack of depth as they played an eight man lineup with the absence of <span>T.J. Hall</span> who had a leg injury and <span>Jon Smith</span> who left the team at the conclusion of the MAC tournament.</p>
<p>The quarterfinals of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament may not have been where the Bobcats envisioned the end of their season taking place, but alas the season has ended, and MAC teams are now out of postseason play as a whole. And it was the last game for a MAC and Ohio great, Nick Kellogg.</p>
<p>"Obviously I wanted to win to keep playing ... have another chance to play in the 'Convo" said Kellogg. "... It didn't work out so, to go out on that note is something that I'm proud of."</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/26/5551898/2014-collegeinsider-com-tournament-quarterfinals-recap-ohio-vmiKaleb Carter2014-03-26T12:00:02-04:002014-03-26T12:00:02-04:00Ohio vs. VMI: 2014 CIT Quarterfinals Preview
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<figcaption>Ohio will have its hands full trying to stop VMI forward D.J. Covington. | Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>With three players averaging more than 18 points a game and one of the fastest full-court offenses out there Ohio's going to have its hands full against the VMI Keydets tonight.</p> <p>2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament Quarterfinals</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/virginia-military-keydets">Virginia Military Keydets</a> (21-12, 11-5 Big South) vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/ohio-bobcats">Ohio University Bobcats</a> (25-11, 11-7 MAC)</p>
<p>Neither team expected to be here before the season began. Nobody dreams of reaching the CollegeInsider.com Tournament quarterfinals, but now that both Ohio and VMI are here neither team wants to go home. Such is the nature of a third-tier basketball tournament.</p>
<p>When Ohio welcomes the Keydets to the Convocation Center tonight at 7 p.m. for their game they'll have to stop the nation's highest-scoring team, an offensive juggernaut, in order to move on to the semifinals. VMI averages 87.7 points-per-game (first in the country) and does so by often dominating the offensive & defensive glass; the Keydets pull down an average of 42.2 rebounds-per-game. Since the CIT tipped off the Keydets have cranked up the tempo to the tune of an average of 108.5 points-per-game.</p>
<p>Meanwhile the Bobcats run a much slower paced half-court offense that seems to work just fine against most mid-major teams, but VMI is not a normal team. They're lightening quick. Ohio is not. They dominate the glass. Ohio does not.</p>
<p>The closest team in the MAC you can relate VMI to is Toledo, considering both stretch the floor and draw the defense out of its comfort zone with incredible efficiency. But even that's not an accurate comparison. Toledo, which Ohio beat once in overtime and lost by six the second time, doesn't have the post presence this team does.</p>
<p>VMI has three players scoring above 18 points a game. The ultra versatile senior big <span>D.J. Covington</span> leads the team with 19.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. He tends to bring furniture with him when he visits opposing teams, you know to make his paint more comfortable. Guards QJ Peterson and <span>Rodney Glasgow</span> average 19.8 and 18.5 points per game respectively, with Peterson pulling down 5.5 boards and Glasgow dishing out 5.8 assists per game as well.</p>
<p>In order to slow down this offense enough to get a lead and hold it Ohio has to start out the gates hot, something this team is not known for doing often. The "Cardiac 'Cats" may have had success coming from behind several times before, but it's unlikely to work against an team that can get up on you by 20 and never slow down.</p>
<p>The loss of senior center <span>Jon Smith</span>, who unceremoniously quit the team before the CIT, puts the team in an awkward position in terms of defending Covington. Ndour is a logical matchup due to their size and athleticism, but Covington has obviously had little problems beat guys like Ndour all season long. You don't average nearly 20 a game letting 230 pound wings shut you down. This means the team will need another huge performance from freshman forward Antonio Campbell. Campbell showed up big in the round 1 CIT win over Cleveland State and has the bigger body to not get pushed around in the defensive paint. He'll need to turn his defense up a notch in order to slow Covington.</p>
<p>If Ohio's guards, namely <span>Nick Kellogg</span> and <span>Javarez Willis</span> can hold their own offensively and lead a crisp, clean ball-movement focused offense the 'Cats should be able to slow down the Keydets' backcourt. That's all Ohio needs to do here too. Just slow them down enough to get them playing sloppy, then pounce.</p>
<p>If the Bobcats win it will be the first time in program history its won three postseason tournament (not including conference tournaments) games in a single season.</p>
<p><b>WHEN:</b> Wednesday, March 26, 7 p.m.</p>
<p><b>WHERE:</b> The Convocation Center, Athens, Ohio</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> None</p>
<p><b>STREAMING:</b> Watchcollegeinsider.com</p>
<p><b>ODDS:</b> Ohio -8</p>
<p><b>HISTORY: </b>These teams met once before, back in 1972, with Ohio winning that game 98-60</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/26/5549452/2014-cit-quarterfinals-ohio-vmi-preview-tv-streamingBryan M. Vance2014-03-23T20:27:25-04:002014-03-23T20:27:25-04:00Ohio To Host VMI Wednesday In CIT Quarterfinals
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<p>The Ohio Bobcats advanced to the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon wih a 56-54 win over Wright state in round 2, Sunday evening the Bobcats found out their next opponent. Ohio will host the Virginia Military Institute (21-12) in the CIT Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. in the Convocation Center.</p>
<p>VMI beat IPFW 106-95 Saturday afternoon. The Keydets feature the nation's highest-scoring offense, averaging 87.7 points per game, and also own the glass, pulling down an average of 42.2 boards per game. They run a break-neck full court offense that could pose problems for the slower more traditional 'Cats.</p>
<p>The winner of this game will move on to the 2014 CIT Semifinals.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/23/5540680/2014-cit-quarterfinals-ohio-to-host-vmi-on-wednesday-march-26-at-7-p-mBryan M. Vance2014-03-23T12:08:53-04:002014-03-23T12:08:53-04:00The Eagles Season Ends In Manhattan
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<p>The Eagles first postseason journey in 16 years comes to a close in sloppy fashion. </p> <p>Eastern Michigan saw its 2013-14 season come to a close on Saturday night, when the Eagles (22-15) dropped their second round game in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament, 69-56, at Columbia University. Columbia (21-12) successfully limited the Eagles to one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the game.</p>
<p>Raven Lee produced a huge game for the Eagles leading the way with 26 points (10 of 22). <span>Glenn Bryant</span> finished his collegiate career with 12 points (5 of 7 shooting) 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a block, and a steal. Finally <dfn><span>DaShonte Riley</span></dfn><b> </b>tied EMU's single season block record with 96 blocks when he swatted a shot late in the game. EMU had eight steals in the game, but it wasn't enough against the red hot shooting Lions.</p>
<p>The Lions saw production across the board as four players hit double figures in the game. <span>Alex Rosenberg</span>, and Lo Maodo lead the way with 15 points a piece. <span class="sbn-auto-link">Rosenberg also added 7 assists. <span>Steve Frankoski</span></span> chipped in with 11 off the bench, and starting center <span>Cory Osetkowski</span> had 10. The Lions shot 50%(22 of 44) from the field, and 48% from beyond the arc (10 of 21).</p>
<p>The Eagles lead by as many as 6 with 7 minutes remaining in the game, but could not knock down a shot in the end. The Eagles saw Columbia go on a 14-0 run through a five minute period, taking an eight point, 59-51, lead with 3:45 left. Lee ended the scoring drought with 3:40 to go and hit a pair of free throws. Columbia finished the game on a 10-3 run. They hit 6 consecutive field goals to close out the game.</p>
<p>For the Eagles the season comes to a close, but they have to chalk this season up as a successful one. Reaching the semi finals in the MAC tournament before losing to Toledo, and reaching the postseason for the first time in 16 years the Eagles have something to build off of heading into next season, but with the losses of Bryant, and Riley they will need the youth to step into their new roles quickly to continue their success.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/23/5538704/2014-cit-eastern-michigan-vs-columbia-recap-lions-69-eagles-56Jeremy Dugans2014-03-22T16:28:11-04:002014-03-22T16:28:11-04:00Ohio Survives Sloppy Start to Beat Wright State
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<p>The "Cardiac 'Cats" struck again, surviving an awful offensive output and a painfully slow start to grind out a thrilling victory and advance to the 2014 CIT quarterfinals.</p> <p>The Ohio Bobcats seem to have this innate ability to survive and advance. They've been doing it all season. Lost four of the best players in program history? Respond by making it to the MAC Tournament quarterfinals. Lose a senior leader midway through the year to a fractured leg? Have a bench player step up and become one of the team's most valuable pieces. Have another senior leader quit just days before the first round of the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament? Have a freshman big step up and carry your team to victory.</p>
<p>Those are just some of the things Ohio has dealt with, and overcome, this season. Saturday afternoon in Athens the Bobcats overcame another roadblock, the worst start to a game this season scoring just 20 points in the first half, and came back to bear in-state rival Wright State 56-54 and advance to the CIT quarterfinals.</p>
<p>Survive, and advance.</p>
<p>With regular season starting point guard <span>Stevie Taylor</span> still battling a lower leg injury and seeing severely reduced minutes, Texas Tech-transfer Javarez Willis put the team on his shoulder and carried the 'Cats to victory behind a career-high 21 points, as the only Ohio player to score in double-digits. Willis was 7-for-11 from the field, including a blistering 5-for-6 from deep and carried a Bobcats offense that shot just 37 percent without Willis.</p>
<p>It was another impressive show of resilience from a team that trailed by as much as many as five in the second half of a low-scoring affair.</p>
<p>Ohio started off sloppy against the Raiders defense, coughing the rock up 14 times overall including four in the early minutes. Six minutes in Wright State led the 'Cats 13-2. It looked like disaster was in toe for the team dubbed the "Cardiac 'Cats". But behind three consecutive Willis' 3-pointers down the final stretch of the first half, and their own increased defensive pressure Ohio entered the half trailing by just one point, 21-20.</p>
<p>Familiar offensive stars like <span>Maurice Ndour</span> and <span>Nick Kellogg</span> were struggling to knock down shots, combining to go 4-for-16 for 10 points in the game. The previous game's star, forward <span>Antonio Campbell</span> was efficient from the floor and a beat in the defensive glass, swatting a pair of shots and pulling down five defensive rebounds, but early foul trouble limited his offensive impact.</p>
<p><span>AJ Pacher</span> and <span>Matt Vest</span> were outdueling Willis, as the two Raiders were each converting buckets at a high-efficiency. The duo finished the game with 16 and 13 points respectively.</p>
<p>But Willis was hotter. As the game wore on the 'Cats made things more difficult for Vest and Pacher, while the Raiders had no answers for Willis who scored 15 points behind the arc. The man they call "Bean" scored five points in a 20-second stretch in the final minute to give Ohio a lead that it didn't relinquish as the final seconds ticked away.</p>
<p>The win also gives the Bobcats 25 in a season for the fifth time in program history.</p>
<p>Ohio has moved on to the 2014 CIT quarterfinals and will face a yet to be determined opponent sometime next week. The information will be out after Round 2 is complete.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/22/5537228/2014-collegeinsider-com-tournament-ohio-vs-wright-state-recap-bobcatsBryan M. Vance2014-03-22T13:06:19-04:002014-03-22T13:06:19-04:00How To Watch EMU vs. Columbia, CIT 2nd Round
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<p>The EMU Eagles head to the Big Apple to take on some Ivy Leaguers today in the second round of the 2014 CIT. Here's how you can watch.</p> <h4 style="text-align: center;">2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, Round 2</h4>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/eastern-michigan-eagles">Eastern Michigan Eagles</a> (22-14, 10-8 MAC) vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/columbia-lions">Columbia Lions</a> (20-12, 8-6 Ivy League)</h4>
<p style="text-align: left;"><b>WHEN:</b> Saturday, March 22, 7 p.m. ET</p>
<p><b>WHERE:</b> Levien Gymnasium, New York, New York</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> None</p>
<p><b>STREAMING: </b>WatchCollegeInsider.com</p>
<p><b>HISTORY: </b></p>
<p><b>ODDS: </b>EMU (+2)</p>
<p><b>HOW THEY GOT HERE: </b>EMU beat Norfolk State in round 1 58-54, though no one went to it to see it. Columbia beat Valparaiso 58-56 in round 1.</p>
<p><b>WHO TO WATCH FOR: </b>Columbia is led by junior forward <span>Alex Rosenberg</span>, who averages a team-high 15.9 points-per-game, and toss in 3.7 rebounds as well. Rosenberg is more a wing player, and at 6-7, 215 pounds is not a power forward, or a real threat for an inside game. He is a skilled sharpshooter though, knocking down 42 percent of his shots from behind the arc. He's one of three skilled marksman who are all knocking down at least 40 percent from three (minimum of 100 attempts) for the Lions. The other two are 6-3 guard <span>Maodo Lo</span>, and 6-3 guard <span>Meiko Lyles</span>.</p>
<p><b>KEYS TO THE GAME: </b>Columbia is a long athletic team with a noticeable height advantage on EMU. Though not as defensively focused as the Eagles, Columbia does tend to grind games out, and doesn't put up a lot of points. It's a traditional Ivy League style of play. In order to win, EMU will want to use that zone to clamp down on the Lion's sharpshooters and redirect the offense inside where Da'Shonte Riley, the 2014 MAC Defensive Player of the Year, is waiting with outstretched arms. Offensively, EMU just needs to shoot better than 40 percent. If the defense does its part EMU should be able to win this by five or so. If not, Columbia has the shooters to build an early lead, than slow the game to a crawl and take the win that way.</p>
<p><b>WHAT'S NEXT: </b>The CIT uses the old <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament">NIT</a> format in that it waits until the results of the previous round are in to determine the match ups for the next round. Since all games are hosted on campus sites it's a necessary step.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/22/5536738/2014-collegeinsider-com-torunament-eastern-michigan-vs-columbiaBryan M. Vance2014-03-22T10:52:40-04:002014-03-22T10:52:40-04:00How To Watch Ohio vs. Wright State, 2nd Round CIT
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<p>Ohio opens the 2nd round of the 2014 CIT today with another in-state rivalry game. Here's how you can watch.</p> <h4 style="text-align: center;">2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, Round 2</h4>
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<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/teams/wright-st-raiders" class="sbn-auto-link">Wright State Raiders</a> (21-14, 10-6 Horizon League) vs. Ohio Bobcats (24-11, 11-7 MAC)</h4>
<p><b>WHEN:</b> Saturday, March 22, 2 p.m. ET</p>
<p><b>WHERE:</b> Convocation Center, Athens Ohio</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> None</p>
<p><b>STREAMING:</b> <a href="http://www.watchcollegeinsider.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?&id=1110877&catid=0&KEY=&DB_OEM_ID=29600" target="_blank">WatchCollegeInsider.com</a></p>
<p><b>HISTORY:</b> This is the 11th match up between these two teams, with Ohio holding an 8-2 advantage. The teams haven't met since Ohio beat the Raiders 82-54 on Dec. 17, 2011</p>
<p><b>HOW THEY GOT HERE: </b>Ohio beat fellow in-state rival Cleveland State in the first round of the CIT, 64-62. Freshman forward <span>Antonio Campbell</span> exploded for 19 points in the second half making up for the loss of senior center <span>Jon Smith</span> who quit the team just days before the tournament began. Wright State beat ECU 73-59 in the first round of the CIT.</p>
<p><b>WHO TO WATCH FOR:</b> For Wright State the focus should be on senior forward A.J. Pacher who leads the team with 11.3 ppg. He also pulls down 4.9 boards a game and at 6-10, 245 is a athletic forward who can hold his own offensively. He's also a high-efficiency player, knocking down 61 percent of his shots.</p>
<p><b>KEYS TO THE GAME:</b> For Ohio it's to feed it inside to Campbell and <span>Maurice Ndour</span> and make Wright State's bigs work. The Bobcats have the superior offensive firepower, and should be able to hit shots from the outside, but getting inside early and breaking down the Raiders' post-game will make it harder for them to guard the 'Cats wings.</p>
<p><b>WHAT'S NEXT</b>: The CIT uses the old <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nit-tournament" class="sbn-auto-link">NIT</a> format in that it waits until the results of the previous round are in to determine the match ups for the next round. Since all games are hosted on campus sites it's a necessary step. Unfortunately as we saw last time, it means that even the announced match up can change at any moment, which is why it's Wright State vs. Ohio instead of IPFW vs. OHio as was originally announced.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/22/5536354/2014-college-insider-tournament-cit-ohio-wright-state-preview-streamingBryan M. Vance2014-03-21T16:14:27-04:002014-03-21T16:14:27-04:00CIT CHANGE: Ohio To Host Wright State Now
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<p>After originally deciding that Ohio would host IPFW in the second round of the 2014 CollegeInsider.com Tournament, the people at the CIT decided to switch things up. On Thursday they announced they had altered the second round schedule slightly to appease travel issue.</p>
<p>The result? Ohio will face another inter-state foe, this time Wright State. The game vs the Raiders is still set for 2 p.m. Ohio's original opponent, IPFW, will face VMI on Saturday.</p>
<p>We'll have a full preview later.</p>
https://www.hustlebelt.com/2014/3/21/5534358/2014-cit-college-insider-tournament-second-round-schedule-ohio-wright-stateBryan M. Vance