Dec. 29, 2008
Complete release in PDF format
ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University men's basketball team will look to extend its non-conference home winning streak to 25 games on Tuesday when it welcomes St. Francis (N.Y.) to The Convo in a rematch of the Bobcats' 67-63 victory last season in Brooklyn Heights.
Ohio (5-6, 0-0 MAC)
vs.
St. Francis (N.Y.) (3-8, 1-1 NEC)
Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 ... 7 p.m. ET ... Convocation Center ... Athens, Ohio
THE TIP-OFF
Ohio will look to extend its non-conference home winning streak to 25 games on Tuesday when it welcomes St. Francis (N.Y.) to The Convo for the team's second-ever meeting ... The Bobcats are 3-0 at home this season, and a win over the Terriers would give them a 4-0 start at The Convo for the fifth year in a row ... Ohio's defense has been stout at home this season, allowing an average of just 57.0 points and forcing its opponents into 63 turnovers - an average of 21.0 per contest - compared to just 30 assists.
WHO'S HOT
Sophomore forward DeVaughn Washington has scored in double figures and led the team in rebounds in each of its last three games ... He is averaging 14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game over that stretch, both team bests ... Sophomore guard Steven Coleman has registered seven of his team-leading 21 steals in the Bobcats' last three games ... Coleman and Washington both had four thefts in the win over Holy Cross ... Senior guard Michael Allen has led the team in assists in its last two outings ... Allen also sports a 2.2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in Ohio's last two games.
NOTABLES FROM THE HOLY CROSS GAME
Ohio's 58-53 victory over Holy Cross was its first of the season by less than 10 points ... The Bobcats forced a season-high 27 turnovers on the night, their most since inducing 28 from Shippensburg on Dec. 17, 2005 ... Holy Cross' 15.4 shooting percentage from beyond the arc was a season low by an Ohio opponent ... Senior forward Jerome Tillman didn't miss from the floor against the Crusaders, knocking down 4-of-4 attempts, including one from long distance ... Tillman also connected on 9-of-11 free throws in the victory.
UP NEXT
Ohio will entertain Bucknell on Jan. 3 in a rematch of the Bobcats' 53-47 victory in Lewisburg on Jan. 2, 2007 - the lone meeting between the two teams ... Then-junior Jerome Tillman recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 boards in the win ... Ohio will enter the game with a 9-4 (.692) all-time record against the Patriot League.
WASHINGTON EMERGING AS DUAL THREAT
Prior to Ohio's game at Delaware on Dec. 13, sophomore forward DeVaughn Washington had played 40 games for the Bobcats without reaching double figures in either points or rebounds.
Washington has changed that over the course of the Bobcats' last three games, scoring in double figures in each outing and pacing the team in rebounds in all three contests.
After chipping in with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting in the victory over Holy Cross, Washington is averaging a team-high 14.3 per game over Ohio's last three games, while shooting 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from the floor.
He has also been active on the glass at both ends of the floor, averaging a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game in Ohio's last three contests, leading the team in each outing. Eleven of Washington's 23 boards (47.8 percent) in that stretch have come on the offensive end.
BOBCATS MUDDYING THE WATERS AT HOME
One of the key factors in Ohio's 3-0 start at home is the fact that the Bobcats are turning their opponents over at a rate of 21.0 times per game at The Convo this season. The Green & White forced Holy Cross into a season-high 27 miscues on Dec. 22, while none of three teams to visit Athens this season has been able to escape The Convo with fewer than 17 turnovers.
Visiting teams have also seen their efficiency numbers decline after meeting the Bobcats on their home court, collecting a combined 30 assists in response to the 63 turnovers - an assist-to-turnover ratio of just 0.48-1.
GETTING IT DONE AT HOME
With their 58-53 win over Holy Cross on Dec. 22, the Bobcats extended their winning streak in non-conference home games to 24 in a row, a run that dates back to Nov. 29, 2004. During that time, Ohio has registered victories over the likes of Butler, George Mason, New Mexico State and Tulsa at The Convo.
DOUBLE-DOUBLES STACKING UP FOR TILLMAN
Ohio's leader in both points and rebounds per game, senior forward Jerome Tillman has registered a double-double in four of the Bobcats' nine contests this season.
Since notching his first-career double-double in the 2005-06 season opener, Tillman has accomplished the feat 22 times in 723 outings, or roughly one time in every three contests.
TILLMAN CLIMBING OHIO'S CAREER SCORING LIST
With a game-high 18 points against Holy Cross on Dec. 22, senior forward Jerome Tillman moved into a tie with former teammate Sonny Troutman for 18th place on Ohio's career scoring list with 1,272 points.
Already one of just 21 players in school history with 1,200-career points, Tillman will look to gain ground on Kirk Lehman against St. Francis on Tuesday. The following is a snapshot of where Tillman currently stands on the program's all-time chart:
16. Gerald McKee (1966-69) 1,310
17. Kirk Lehman (1978-82) 1,297
18. Sonny Troutman (2003-07) 1,272
Jerome Tillman (2005-Pres.) 1,272
20. Don Hilt (1962-65) 1,252
21. Jerry Jackson (1961-64) 1,205
TILLMAN KEEPING ELITE COMPANY IN OHIO RECORD BOOKS
During his ascent up Ohio's career scoring chart this season, senior forward Jerome Tillman has moved past six members of the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame on the program's all-time ledger.
Tillman began to make his move when he passed both Lewis Geter and Frankie Baumholtz - Ohio's first All-American - in the win over Austin Peay. He proceeded to surpass John Canine, Bunk Adams and Jerry Jackson before his 14 points against Marshall on Dec. 17 propelled him ahead of Don Hilt and into 19th place on the program's career list.
With 1,272 points to his credit, the next Ohio Hall of Fame member on Tillman's radar is Robert Tatum, who currently stands in 14th place with 1,348-career points.
SECOND VERSE DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST
Despite trailing at the half in eight of their 11 contests this season, Ohio is +37 in the second half this season, outscoring its opponents, 415-378, after the break.
Tied at 26-26 with Holy Cross in their last outing, the Bobcats battled to a 32-27 advantage after the break to extend its non-conference home winning streak to 24 games.
The 17-point second-half cushion Ohio enjoyed against William & Mary in the season opener was its largest since doubling up George Mason, 50-25, on Feb. 23, 2008.
BOBCATS SEEING BALANCE FROM BALLHANDLERS
Through 11 games this season, Ohio's primary ballhandlers have each taken a prominent role in directing the offense. Senior Michael Allen has led the Bobcats or shared the team lead in assists six times, while freshman Steven Coleman has paced the squad four times and fellow rookie Frankie Dobbs has done so on three occasions.
Prior to the Xavier game, when sophomore forward DeVaughn Washington handed out a team-leading four assists, at least one member of the triumvirate had led or shared the team high in seven-straight games to open the campaign.
OHIO TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS FROM THE LINE LATE IN GAMES
Ohio is shooting is 72.7 percent from the line as a team in the last five minutes of games this season, knocking down 40-of-55 attempts. Senior guard Michael Allen has been the catalyst for that late-game success, hitting all nine of his shots from the charity stripe with five minutes or less on the clock.
The Bobcats' home victory over Tulsa on Dec. 3 was secured at the line in the latter stages of the game, as Ohio knocked down 9-of-11 attempts in the last 2:25 of regulation to capture a 12-point win.
TOMMY THREE-MAN
Sophomore guard Tommy Freeman has taken well to his new role as one of the Bobcats' sharpshooters this season, as evidenced by the fact that 17 of his 22 field goals (77.3 percent) and 41 of his 60 field goal attempts (68.3) have come from beyond the arc.
Freeman also displayed his knack for knocking down trifectas in limited playing time as a freshman last year. In 41 career games, Freeman has made 75.0 percent (30-of-40) of his field goals and taken 73.8 percent (76-of-103) of his shots from long distance.
