Jan. 29, 2008

Box Score |  Quotes |  Notes

ATHENS, Ohio-Senior forward Leon Williams (Baltimore, Md.) racked up a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Ohio men's basketball squad smothered visiting Central Michigan 62-47 Tuesday evening in the Convocation Center. The Bobcats improved to 14-6 overall and 5-2 in the Mid-American Conference in collecting their fourth straight win, while the Chippewas sank to 8-11 and 3-4 in the league.

The game was Williams' ninth double-double this season and 36^th overall.

Junior guard Bert Whittington (Hankamer, Texas) chipped in 13, while junior forward Jerome Tillman (Beavercreek, Ohio) had 11. Junior guard Michael Allen, the MAC's leader in assists, had five on this night, while Tillman had a game-high three blocks and senior guard Bubba Walther (Cincinnati, Ohio) had a game-high four steals.

Central's Giordan Watson led the Chippewas with 18 points and six assists, while Robbie Harman had 11.

Williams' 12 boards powered Ohio to a 40-35 edge on the glass.

Ohio held a distinct advantage inside all game long as the Bobcats amassed 34 points in the paint to just 10 for CMU and got to the line 16 more times (26-10).

However, the biggest problem for CMU came during the second half when Ohio limited the visitors to just 19 second-half points on 6-28 shooting (21.4 pct.) from the field.

Neither team handled the ball particularly well as both squads combined for 45 turnovers.

Ohio gradually pulled away in the latter stages of the first half, going up by as many as 10 (24-14) on a pair of free throws by Williams with 3:17 to go. However, CMU closed the stanza on a 14-4 run to draw even at 28 heading into the locker room.

Ohio saved its stiffest defensive performance for the midpoint of the second half when it held the Chippewas without a field goal for an eight minute, four second span (11:15-3:14). In that time, the Bobcats increased their lead from five to 14 and cruised the rest of the way.

CMU did an admirable job staying in the contest through the use of the long ball as 10 of its 16 field goals came via the 3-pointer.

Ohio will be back in action Saturday, Feb. 2 when it heads to Dekalb, Illinois to take on the Northern Illinois Huskies (5-13 overall, 2-4 MAC).