ATHENS, Ohio – A 20-2 run to close the first half made the difference as Ohio topped Hampton, 75-67, on Tuesday night at The Convo.

The Bobcats (4-0) trailed the Pirates (0-3) by a point with six minutes remaining before a Walter Offutt 3-pointer gave Ohio the lead for good.

After combining for just 17 points in his first three games, Offutt scored 23 to lead the Bobcats against the Pirates. Ivo Baltic made 7 of 8 shots and scored 16 points and D.J. Cooper had 12 points and seven assists.

David Bruce had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Hampton, which held a 43-26 edge on the boards, but was guilty of 24 turnovers.

Deron Powers scored a layup that gave Hampton a 25-24 advantage late in the first half, but Offutt had back-to-back 3-pointers for the Bobcats. He then had a steal that led to a free throw for Travis Wilkins.

After another Wilkins free throw, Reggie Keely scored a layup and Offutt added a three-point play that made it 37-25 with 2:33 remaining. Offutt added two more free throws before Bruce finally ended the 15-0 run with a layup. Baltic answered with a layup and then connected on a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to make it 44-27.

The momentum did not carry into the second half, though. Both Keely and Baltic were called for technical fouls that helped the Pirates get to within nine, 52-43, with 12:12 remaining.

That was as close as Hampton got, though, until a Bruce free throw with 2:39 left made it 69-61. Baltic scored a basket on the next possession, helping Ohio close out the game. There were 29 combined fouls called in the second half.

In the first half, the Bobcats trailed early, 10-6, but they followed with an 11-2 run to take a 17-12 lead. The Pirates, though, came back with seven straight points and the rest of the half was back and forth until the final six minutes before the break.

Offutt made his living at the free throw line, making 13 of 15 foul shots. The Bobcats finished the game 26 of 31 on free throws, while the Pirates were 17 of 26. Ohio shot 42.9 percent from the field, slightly better than Hampton’s 41.4 percent.

Ohio scored 32 points off turnovers but gave up 23 second-chance points and 36 points in the paint.

The Bobcats host Richmond at 2 p.m. Saturday.