Neither Jaaron Simmons nor Saul Phillips sounded thrilled about the defensive effort.
But they were smiling nonetheless.
That’s how an 18-point conference win can change your perspective in a hurry.
Ohio closed strong, and downed visiting Western Michigan, 82-64, inside the Convocation Center Tuesday night. The win snapped a two-game slide for the Bobcats (11-6, 2-3 Mid-American Conference) and offered proof Ohio can, in fact, play some defense.
“Tonight we did the little things right,” Phillips, Ohio’s head coach, grudgingly admitted. “It was a step in the right direction.”
The Broncos (7-11, 1-4 MAC) shot just 33.