By Staff
A 13-0 run by Ohio University to start the second half led to Central Michigan University's ninth straight Mid-American Conference loss of the season Saturday afternoon by a 73-61 margin.
The Chippewas, controlling the tempo of play, held a 31-26 halftime lead – thanks to a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Joe Carr. The 26 points were the least allowed by CMU this season in the initial half.
However, the Bobcats exploded out of the gates in the final 20 minutes and rolled to a 39-31 lead and made it 44-33 at 15:51 before CMU managed to slow down the home team. The Chippewas did battle back to within four points at 51-47 on a break-away basket by Robert Sevalia with 10:44 to go.
Ohio then pulled away behind some deft outside shooting to lead by as many as 14 points late in the game.
The loss dropped CMU's record to 3-16 for the season and 0-9 in MAC play. The Bobcats are now 6-13 overall and 3-6 in loop play.
The Chippewas made 24-of-54 from the field for 44 percent but hit just three-of-13 from behind the arc for 23 percent. OU meshed seven-of-19 threes, including six-of-11 in the second half, and finished the game hitting 26-of-57 from the floor for 46 percent.
Ohio also won the battle of the boards, 38-33, claiming 18 caroms on the offensive end.
Kevin Nelson came off the bench to lead the Chippewas with 12 points, six of them coming on two 3-pointers. Niles High School graduate Gerrit Brigitha added 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds while T.J. Merriman came off the bench to score eight points. Sefton Barrett tallied seven points and grabbed five rebounds in his first career start.
Ohio was led by a pair of players who came off the bench to light it up – Jaivon Harris with 20 points (he nailed five threes) and Delvar Barrett with 18.
After playing six of its first nine MAC games on the road, CMU returns to Rose Arena for three straight games beginning Wednesday against Western Michigan at 7 p.m.