Athens, OH (Sports Network) - Walter Offutt scored 17 points and helped set up
Ohio University's final two field goals in overtime, as the Bobcats rallied
for a 78-75 win over the Kent State Golden Flashes in a Mid-American
Conference thriller at the Convocation Center.
D.J. Cooper racked up 13 points, seven assists and four steals to help the
Bobcats (19-6, 10-1 MAC) improve to 14-1 at home on the season and notch their
fourth straight win overall. Nick Kellogg and Reggie Keely rounded out the
team's double-figure scorers with 12 and 10 points, respectively, while Stevie
Taylor (three points) came off the bench to hit the go-ahead 3-pointer late in
overtime.
Chris Evans led the Golden Flashes (14-12, 5-7) with a game-high 18 points and
14 rebounds, while Kris Brewer contributed 14 points in the loss.
A putback by Evans gave Kent State its largest lead of the game, 19-12, at the
7:41 mark of the opening stanza. However, after trading baskets back and
forth, OU closed out the half with a 15-3 spurt to take a 31-26 lead into the
locker room.
The Golden Flashes dominated the second half, as they shot a blistering 72.7
percent from the floor and drained 6-of-9 threes. With the score tied at
69-69, Kent State held out for the final possession of regulation, but Mark
Henninger misfired on a pass that went out of bounds, and the game went to
overtime.
The extra session featured one tie and four lead changes, but it was a wild
sequence in the final seconds that dictated the outcome. Trailing 75-73,
Offutt kicked the ball out to an unguarded Taylor, who knocked down a three
from the wing to make it a 76-75 game with 13 seconds on the clock. On the
other end of the floor, OU forced a turnover, and Offutt fed the ball upcourt
to Kellogg, whose layup provided the final margin.
OU forced 22 turnovers for the game as it held a key 26-14 advantage in points
off turnovers. The Bobcats swept the season series with Kent State as they
also narrowly won the first meeting, 69-68, on Jan. 26.
GAME NOTES:
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