Jan. 19, 2008
Box Score | Quotes
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio men's basketball team used stifling defense and a career-high 26 points from Bert Whittington IV (Temecula, Calif.) to defeat Kent State, who was previously undefeated in MAC play, 71-59 on Saturday night.
Ohio evened its conference record at 2-2 (11-6 overall) while Kent State fell to 14-4 and 3-1 in the MAC.
Whittington wasted little time in taking advantage of his first start since Nov. 29, 2007. Bubba Walther (Cincinnati, Ohio) was out of the game because of an injury suffered against Akron.
Whittington, a junior transfer from Ohlone Junior College, nailed three 3-pointers and a long jumper from the wing to score 11 of Ohio's first 23 points. The point guard led all scorers with 16 points at halftime, on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Whittington finished with 26 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 free throws.
Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) also shined on the offensive end with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 6-of-8 from the free throw line.
Tillman made five of six free throw attempts down the stretch and Whittington's lay-up added up to a seven-point-play that stopped a Kent State rally which had cut Ohio's lead to just five points.
Whittington and Tillman led the Bobcats on offense, but it was the team's defensive effort that controlled the Golden Flashes.
The Ohio defense limited a hot-shooting Kent State squad to just 37.3 percent from the field (19-of-51) and only 29.4 percent from beyond the three-point line (3-of-13). Justin Orr (Cincinnati, Ohio) and DeVaughn Washington (Virginia Beach, Va.) each recorded a pair of blocks as the Bobcats tallied six total as a team.
"You really have to defend your home court in the MAC," said Ohio head coach Tim O'Shea after the victory.
Ohio has now held each of its four MAC opponents to less than 60 points.
Leon Williams (Baltimore, Md.) continued his dominance on the glass, pulling down 10 rebounds. He has now led Ohio in rebounds in 14 games this season while Whittington led the Bobcats in points for the second time, his first coming against Kansas.
At halftime of the game, Dr. Vernon Alden was given a ceremonial plaque for his donation to Ohio athletics and Ohio Athletics Director Kirby Hocutt announced the name change of the Ohio Athletics Operational Endowment Campaign to the Dr. Vernon Alden Ohio Athletics Operational Endowment Campaign. Through the campaign, Ohio athletics has raised $1.4 million in gifts with the ultimate goal being $2.5 million.
The Bobcats will travel to Buffalo for a MAC road contest on Jan. 23 before coming back to The Convo for a two-game homestand against Ball State on Jan. 26 and Central Michigan on Jan. 29.
