Taylor scores career-high 19 points as Bobcats pull away late
Five Bobcats score in double figures
By: Lonnie McMillan / Contributor
Friday, December 23, 2011
ATHENS, Ohio – Freshman Stevie Taylor scored a career-high 19 points and Ohio pulled away in the second half for an 82-66 victory against North Carolina A&T at The Convo on Friday night.
The Bobcats (11-1) led by just three at halftime but outscored the Aggies(4-10) by 13 points in the second half.
Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg each scored 14 points, Ivo Baltic finished with 12 points and Reggie Keely netted 11 points.
North Carolina A&T shot 55.8 percent, including 69.6 percent in the first half. It got 15 points from DaMetrius Upchurch, 14 points from Nic Simpson and 12 from Austin Witter. The Aggies were doomed by 24 turnovers, compared to just 10 by the Bobcats.
Upchurch hit a free throw to open the second half that got the Aggies within two, but Offutt hit two free throws and Kellogg drilled a 3-pointer. An Offutt trey put the Bobcats up eight and the lead finally reached double digits on a steal and assist by Stevie Taylor to Reggie Keely with 16:08 remaining.
North Carolina A&T got as close as five on an Upchurch layup with 10:29 to go, but Baltic and Offutt hit back-to-back shots to put the Bobcats’ lead back at 10.
It was 65-59 after Jean Louisme hit from beyond the arc, but Ohio finally put the game away with a big run ignited by a Taylor 3-pointer. North Carolina A&T went scoreless for nearly four minutes while Ohio scored nine straight points to go up by 15.
The first half was back and forth before Ohio finally took the lead for good on the first of back-to-back Taylor 3-pointers with 6:41 left before halftime.
Ohio pulled down 20 offensive rebounds and won the battle of the boards, 35-30, earning 25 more shot attempts than North Carolina A&T.
D.J. Cooper scored eight points, passed out seven assists and tied with Kellogg for the team-lead with four steals. Baltic and Keely had nine and eight rebounds, respectively.
The Bobcats made 30 of 68 shots (44.4 percent), including 12 of 34 3-pointers.
Ohio scored more points off turnovers, 34-13, second-chance points, 23-11, points in the paint, 30-20, and bench points, 32-20.
The Bobcats take a week off before hosting Kennesaw State at 7 p.m. Friday.