By Lamont Burroughs
3 1 2025
FOLLOW OHIO MEN’S BASKETBALL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio men’s basketball team (16-13, 10-6 MAC) defeated Miami (21-8, 12-4 MAC), 75-66, in the 216th edition of the ‘Battle of the Bricks’. Ohio now leads the all-time series 120-96 against the RedHawks and is 8-2 under head coach Jeff Boals.
Ohio shot 50.8% from the field, 38.9% from 3-point range and 57.1% from the free throw line. Senior AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) led the Bobcats with 20 points, going 8-of-12 from the field and hitting three 3-pointers.
“It was awesome to see Clayton show out today, and he was a huge part of our success,” said Boals. “He played confident.”
Graduate student Vic Searls (Hilliard, Ohio) followed with 13 points and seven rebounds, while graduate student Shereef Mitchell (Omaha, Neb.) added 11 points and four rebounds. Junior Elmore James (Cleveland, Ohio) contributed 12 points, and freshman Elijah Elliott (Orlando, Fla.) recorded seven points and five rebounds.
Miami opened the game with a lead, but Ohio quickly responded. A jumper by Mitchell tied the game 15-15 with 11:44 in the first half. After trailing again, junior Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) tied the game 19-19 with a shot from the paint, followed by a 3-pointer from redshirt sophomore AJ Brown (Orlando, Fla.) to give Ohio its first lead at 22-21.
A 9-0 run by Ohio, capped by a 3-pointer from James, pushed the lead to 28-23. Ohio extended its advantage before halftime with contributions from Clayton and Elliott, closing the half ahead 40-33.
“The togetherness of this team really clicked today,” James shared. “The loss earlier this month to Miami was rough, but we had each other’s back and were able to come together in this game.”
The Bobcats maintained their lead in the second half, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Clayton that made the score 50-40 with 16:36 remaining. Miami cut the lead to 68-64 late, but a jumper by James and free throws from Searls secured the win. Mitchell sealed the game with back-to-back steals and foul shots, while Ohio’s defense prevented Miami from scoring in the final seconds.
“It means a lot to me to be able to win this rival game,” Searls shared. “To come out and finally show what I can do was really important.”
Next up, the Bobcats will host Eastern Michigan in their last home game of the season on Tuesday, March 4 for Senior Night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game can be viewed on ESPN+, with Senior Night ceremonies set to begin before tip-off.
#OUOhyeah
COURTESY OHIO ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
