Campbell, Kaminski help Ohio beat Georgia Tech 67-61
ATLANTA (AP) — Senior forward Antonio Campbell went for game highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds Friday as Ohio University beat Georgia Tech 67-61.
The Bobcats' second straight win in an Atlantic Coast Conference gym came down to their big man, long balls and Ohio's experience over the youngest team in the nation.
Georgia Tech (2-1) led 32-27 at halftime and outrebounded Ohio 48-37 overall, but the Bobcats (3-0) made seven 3-pointers in the second half. That's when fifth-year senior Kenny Kaminski scored all 15 of his points from beyond the arc.
Fourth-year junior point guard Jaaron Simmons added 17 points and nine assists, and the Bobcats' three elders combined for all 10 of their made treys.
Campbell added three, same as Tech's total.
The 6-foot-9 reigning Mid-American Conference player of the year wasn't around when Ohio won 61-55 at Maryland in 2007, yet said, "We were pretty excited to come in and play against an ACC school. They're big, athletic. All teams in the MAC aren't like that."
The Yellow Jackets - who started two true freshmen and had four players making their third career starts - were led by junior center Ben Lammers' career-high 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. He held his own one-on-one against Campbell.
Ohio took a difference approach.
After watching tape of Tech's first two games, in which powerfully built guard Josh Okogie scored 18 points each time, Bobcats head coach Saul Phillips stationed sophomore guard Jordan Dartis on Okogie and sagged on him.
"They'd made seven 3's (in the first two games)," Phillips said of Tech. "We tried to make sure our help was a little exaggerated ... we got guys who've played a lot together."
Okogie went 2 of 13 while scoring five points, and the Jackets in the second half shot just 27.8 percent (10 of 36).
After Kaminski made a pair on back-to-back possessions to give Ohio a 49-46 lead with 11:02 left in the game, Tech never led again and tied only once - on Jackson's short jumper at the 8:11 mark.
From there, the Bobcats stretched the game out.
"We went in talking the entire time about, 'You've got to take the 3 out,' and we did a good job in the first half," said Tech coach Josh Pastner. "In the second half, Kaminski got loose and hit a couple big shots that changed the complexion of the game. That was the big difference right there."
BIG PICTURE
Ohio: The Bobcats are better when Campbell and Simmons are clicking. Simmons struggled in the first half, scoring nine points on 3-of-9 shooting with five turnovers - mostly against 6-8 Tech swingman Abdoulaye Gueye. He made half his six shots in the second half, rang up six of his nine assists and turned the ball over just once. "There's no question that that one of the biggest narratives of this game is we've got guys that have played a lot together," Phillips said.
Georgia Tech: Senior forward Quinton Stephens was 1 of 9 Friday for six points, and he's 7 of 26 in three games. Fellow senior Josh Heath, potentially the starting point guard, will sit out one more game as part of a four-game suspension for violating team rules.
HOW ABOUT A DO-OVER
With Stephens' offensive struggles, Pastner gave him a break in the second half. "I thought he looked tired (on offense)," the coach said. "But he was doing a good job on Kaminski, who got hot. I regret subbing him ... that one's on me."
STOCK OPTION
At 6-9, 244 pounds, Campbell has eyes on the next level of the game, which may have eyes on him. "There's a reason NBA teams are looking at him," Phillips said. "He lost 30 pounds since last year; he was chunky ... he may be a second-round prospect now with maybe some ability to slide up."
UP NEXT
Ohio: The Bobcats will be idle for a week before playing host Nov. 25 to Tennessee Tech, which Georgia Tech beat 70-55 in the season opener.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets will play the fourth of five home games to start the season Tuesday when they face Sam Houston State. Ohio beat SHSU 96-75 Monday.