Ohio, Middle Tenn. meet in Conway
Middle Tennessee (3-3) vs. Ohio (3-3)
Myrtle Beach Invitational , HTC Center, Conway, South Carolina; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Middle Tennessee is set to face off against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Invitational. Ohio lost 80-66 to Utah in its most recent game, while Middle Tennessee fell 86-74 against Tulane in its last outing.
LEADING THE CHARGE: The dynamic Jason Preston has put up 17.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists to lead the charge for the Bobcats. Complementing Preston is Ben Vander Plas, who is producing 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. The Blue Raiders have been led by Antonio Green, who is averaging 18.2 points and 4.5 rebounds.
FUELING THE OFFENSE: Preston has either made or assisted on 55 percent of all Ohio field goals over the last three games. The freshman guard has 21 field goals and 15 assists in those games.
ASSIST DISTRIBUTION: The Blue Raiders have recently converted baskets via assists more often than the Bobcats. Ohio has an assist on 32 of 66 field goals (48.5 percent) across its past three matchups while Middle Tennessee has assists on 49 of 81 field goals (60.5 percent) during its past three games.
PACE OF PLAY: The upbeat Middle Tennessee offense has averaged 77.6 possessions per game, the 24th-most in Division I. Ohio has not been as uptempo as the Blue Raiders and is averaging only 67.6 possessions per game (ranked 273rd, nationally).
