Back in the game

Bobcats down GM
By NICK BROCKMAN, Special to The News ATHENS, Ohio — Ohio’s Bubba Walther knows when he’s hot so are the Bobcats’ chances of pulling out a victory.

Walther scored 18 of his 21 points to help Ohio overcome a 17-point deficit and defeat George Mason 69-57 on Saturday afternoon before a national television audience as part of the ESPNU BracketBuster Saturday.

“I thought Bubba probably had his best game in an Ohio uniform today,” Ohio coach Tim O’Shea said. “He did what seniors are supposed to do. He put us on his back and made big shot and big play after big play.”

The Bobcats trailed 32-19 at halftime and needed any spark Walther could provide to bring Ohio back into the game.

Walther said the team stuck with the original game plan and momentum eventually shifted.

“We didn’t really force any bad shots in the first half we just missed,” Walther said. “In the second half we were hot.”

After a Leon Williams jumper to open the second half, Walther drained back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Ohio within five points. Ohio and the large crowd sensed a comeback as Walther and his teammates found a rhythm.

“I’m a streak shooter,” Walther said. “I’ve kind of accepted that. Halftime hit and I was just sitting here telling myself, ‘Calm down. You’re a senior, you have to step up big.’ I hit the first one and the next play I was wide open again in transition. I knew once I caught the ball it was going to go in. Once I hit the first one in the second half it really calmed me down.”

A layup by Bert Whittington IV with 10:45 remaining gave Ohio a 41-40 advantage, its first lead of the game. The Patriots did not allow Ohio to breeze past to victory though and traded baskets down to the final minutes.

Walther, however, once again stepped up to take the Bobcats to safety with a win. Walther’s jump shot at the 5:31 gave Ohio a 49-48 lead — a lead that would not be surrendered the rest of the game. Another shot, a three-pointer, with three minutes left gave the Bobcats a seven-point advantage.

Ahead seven points, Williams placed Ohio in complete comfort when he hit his first career three-pointer. Walther in-bounded the ball to Williams with four seconds on the shot clock. On the wing and with his back to the basket, Williams turned and hurled the ball toward the goal.

“Honestly I just threw it up,” Williams said. “I heard Bubba say, ‘Shoot it.’ I didn’t even think the shot clock was that low.”

While Williams put the game on ice, O’Shea said it began with Walther.

“It started with Bubba making two three-pointers in a row,” O’Shea said. “And Bert gave us a big lift in the second half. The energy just picked up from there. The crowd was so good. It got to a point where I knew there was no way they were going to come back on us.”