The No.2-seeded Ohio Bobcats get together with the No.7-seeded Northern Illinois Huskies in the second round of the MAC tournament at the Quicken Loans Arena. The game starts at 6:30 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10.
The Bobcats enter this game hoping for similar success after just getting past Miami (OH) 67-65 the last time they played. Antonio Campbell played a key role, recording his 15th double-double of the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds. The Huskies, meanwhile, are coming off a 56-50 win over Western Michigan in the 1. Travon Baker was the game’s top scorer, posting 18 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
Jaaron Simmons has been playing at a high level as of late for the Bobcats, averaging 23.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 2.4 three-pointers over the last five games.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a balanced matchup. Ohio’s sharp-shooting offense ranks 24th in the nation in that metric at 54.8%, while Northern Illinois is 25th-best in the nation at forcing opponents’ misses (46.7%). Moreover, the Huskies are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 22nd in OR% at 33.3%. But the Bobcats rank fifth at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 74.4%.
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Bobcats had the upper hand in the most recent game, a close 80-69 win. Simmons finished with 24 points and 12 assists.
The Bobcats enter the game with records of 20-10 Straight Up (SU) and 16-10 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Bobcats are a phenomenal shooting team from the line with a .755 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. Turning to the defensive end, the Bobcats prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 49th in the nation with 213 total three-pointers allowed (7.0 per game).
On the other side, the Huskies head into the game with records of 17-10 ATS and 21-11 SU. The Huskies are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 39.3 rebounds per game.
Following the Bobcats’ latest win over Northern Illinois, their SU record against Northern Illinois moves to 8-2 over their most recent meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Ohio has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five games. Northern Illinois has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – NIU, ATS Winner – NIU
Notes
Ranked 11th, the Northern Illinois Huskies have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 96.2 points per 100 possessions. The Ohio Bobcats rank 48th in offense, scoring 112.6 points in the same number of possessions.
The Ohio Bobcats average 69.7 possessions and 1.126 points per possession in games this season. The Northern Illinois Huskies average fewer possessions with 68.8, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.062.
Ohio has the 24th-ranked average effective field goal percentage at 54.8%. Northern Illinois is a losing 1-4 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Ohio attempts 21.0 three pointers and Northern Illinois attempts 19.0. Both teams have winning records when they have 20 or more three point attempts. The Ohio Bobcats sit at 15-8 and the Northern Illinois Huskies are 13-4.
Ohio ranks 326th in offensive rebounds, while Northern Illinois ranks 59th in defensive rebounds.
Northern Illinois makes an average of 7.3 steals per game. Ohio has a solid 7-3 record when it allows at least 7 steals.
