By Lamont Burroughs

3 13 2025

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The fifth-seeded Ohio men’s basketball team’s (16-16) season came to a heartbreaking end on Thursday (March 13), falling to No. 4 Toledo (18-14), 90-85, in overtime in the Mid-American Conference Quarterfinals inside Rocket Arena.

Overall, Ohio shot 46.4 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and went 16-of-21 from the line, while Toledo shot 43.1 percent from the field, 35.7 percent from three and went 29-of-35 from the line. Toledo outrebounded Ohio, 43-37, while the Rockets dished out eight assists compared to Ohio’s six. Meanwhile Ohio scored 42 points in the paint compared to 32 from Toledo.

Individually, junior guard Jackson Paveletzke (Kimberley, Wis.) led Ohio with a game-high 28 points, going 9-of-16 from the field, 1-of-3 from three and 9-of-11 from the line, while grabbing three rebounds and dishing out three assists. Graduate student guard Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) scored 12 points and have five rebounds, while graduate student forward Vic Searls (Hilliard, Ohio) added 12 points, going 4-of-4 from the field, 4-of-5 from the line and grabbed three rebounds. Senior forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) had 10 points, while junior guard Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) had seven points and seven boards. Junior forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.), in his return after being injured on Jan. 21, scored seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Ohio won the tip, but Toledo got on the board first with a three. Moments later Paveletzke hit a layup to get the Bobcats on the board. After a three from Mitchell put the Bobcats up two, Toledo scored five straight to go up three. The two teams traded baskets before a jumper from Paveletzke and James gave Ohio a three-point lead, before the Rockets hit a three to tie the game at 13-13 going into the first media timeout. After a layup from junior guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) tied the game at 17-17, Toledo went on a 7-0 run to take a 24-17 lead with 10:08 left in the half.

Out of the break, a driving layup from Sheldon stopped the Toledo run, however the Rockets matched it with a three-point play. A layup from Elliott cut the Ohio deficit to six. The two teams continued to trade baskets with a layup from Hadaway, his first points since January 17, and a layup from Searls, cutting the Toledo lead to 29-25 with eight minutes to go on the first half. The teams continued to trade baskets before a three from Paveletzke cut the deficit to three. However, Toledo would connect on a layup to take a five-point lead headed into the final media timeout. A three-point play from Hadaway with 34 seconds to go cut the Toledo lead to three, however, Toledo would connect on a jumper to take a 39-35 lead into the locker room.

At the half, Ohio shot 46.9 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from three and were 3-of-4 four the line, while Toledo shot 44.4 percent from the field, 40 percent from three and were 3-of-4 from the line. Toledo out-rebounded Ohio, 20-18, while Toledo dished out five assists to Ohio’s three.

Toledo got the first points in the half, before a three-point play from freshman guard Elijah Elliott (Orlando, Fla.) cut the Ohio deficit to three. After Toledo went up six, back-to-back baskets from Paveletzke helped cut the Ohio deficit to four headed into the first media timeout. After Toledo went up five, five-straight points from Searls tied the game at 45-45. After Toledo went back up four, free throws from and then a three-point play from Paveletzke gave the Bobcats a 50-49 lead headed into the under-12 media timeout.

Out of the break, After Toledo retook the lead, three-straight points from Paveletzke tied the game at 53-53. The two teams continued to trade baskets before a three from Clayton gave the Bobcats a one-point lead. After Toledo went back up two, free throws from James tied the game back up, but the Rockets would take a five-point lead before. A layup from Mitchell cut the deficit to three with under eight minutes to go.

Out of the timeout, Searls tied the game at 61-1 before Mitchell drained a three to give the Bobcats a three-point lead. After the Rockets cut the lead to two, a driving layup from Mitchell out the Bobcats back up five, before two free throws from Toledo cut the Ohio lead to 67-65 with 5:42 to go in the game. After free throws from Searls put Ohio up four, a free throw from Toledo cut the lead to three, but Paveletzke was able to capitalize on a driving layup to give Ohio a 71-66 lead heading into the final media timeout.

Out of the break, four-straight free throws from Toledo cut the Ohio lead to one with 1:57 to go. Moments later, Toledo hit two more free throws to take a one-point lead with 1:48 remaining in the game. After a jumper from Clayton put Ohio back up one, Toledo again tied the game with a free throw with under a minute to go. After a jumper from Paveletzke put Ohio back up two, Toledo responded with one of their own to tie the game at 75-75 with seven second to go. After Paveletzke was fouled driving to the basket with 4.7 second left, he split his two free throws putting Ohio up one with four seconds remaining. After Toeldo was fouled with a second to go, the Rockets missed the second free throw, sending the game to overtime tied at 76-76.

Toledo scored the first basket of the overtime before a layup from Hadaway tied the game back up. After Toledo retook the lead, a three from Clayton out the Bobcats up one. After that, a layup from Toledo put the Rockets up two with 1:34 to go. Moments later, free throws from Paveletzke once again tied the game up at 83-83.

After a three-point play from Toledo put the Rockets up three, Ohio was only able to cut the deficit back down to one before Toledo capitalized on free throws down the stretch, securing their 90-85 overtime victory.

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COURTESY OHIO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS