First Half Deficit Costs Men’s Basketball in Road Loss at Ohio, 96-68

Saturday, January 21

Athens, Ohio

2 p.m.

Central Michigan University

Ohio

Photo by: Jack Reeber '23,M'25 - @jackreeber.raw

First Half Deficit Costs Men’s Basketball in Road Loss at Ohio, 96-68

1/21/2023 5:52:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Boxscore (PDF)

Ohio hits an opponent-high 15 3-pointers; Central Michigan’s Brian Taylor leads the Chippewas with a double-double of 27 points and a game-high 11 rebounds on 10-21 shooting.

By: Katherine Schulz

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. –Miles Brown scored 23 of his 27 points in the first half and host Ohio went on to hit 15 3-pointers en route to a 96-68 win over the Central Michigan men's basketball team Saturday afternoon at the Bobcats' Convocation Center.

The Chippewas fell into an early double-digit deficit as Brown and the Bobcats went to work as they connected on 54.5 percent (18-33) of their field goal attempts and seven of their 14 3-point attempts in the first half. Ohio turned the ball over just one time in the first half.

In scoring his 27 points, Brown finished 9-12 from the field and hit 6-9 3-pointers. Dwight Wilson and Jaylin Hunter both scored 12 points apiece and AJ Brown finished with nine.

Central Michigan senior Brian Taylor led the way for the Chippewas with a double-double of 27 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. While playing the entire 40 minutes, Taylor converted 10 of 21 shots and 4-10 3-pointers, and finished with three steals. It marked his second double-double of the year. Sophomore Markus Harding also contributed 16 points for the Chippewas.

Only seven Chippewas saw action in the contest as Central Michigan played the game without regulars in junior Jesse Zarzuela and junior Carrington McCaskill.

Ohio jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the game's first five minutes using a 7-0 run highlighted by a Dwight Wilson layup, Jaylin Hunter jumper, and Miles 3-pointer. The Bobcats extended the lead to 16 points on another Miles 3-pointer with 6:55 to play in the first half, then led by as many as 23 points in the first half on two AJ Brown free throws with 3:44 to go before the half. Ohio led 52-31 at halftime.

A total of 11 Bobcats contributed in the second half for eight of Ohio's 15 triples, five of which fell in the final 10 minutes of the game to push the lead into the 30s. Ohio's largest lead was 31 points (96-65) with 33 seconds to go.

Ohio's 15 3-pointers were the most by a Central Michigan opponent this season. CMU committed 15 total turnovers to Ohio's nine and was outrebounded, 38-32.

The Chippewas fall to 7-12 overall and 2-4 in the Mid-American Conference. Ohio improves to 10-9 overall and 2-4 in the MAC.

CMU returns to McGuirk Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 24 as the Chippewas take on Bowling Green. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.