DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- For the three seeded Ohio men's basketball team (25-9) continues play at the 2022 Roman College Basketball Invitational (CBI) in Daytona,Fla., on Monday, March 21 when they take on No. 6 Abilene Christian (24-10) in the quarterfinals. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. inside the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. The Bobcats matchup will be seen on FloHoops where Tom James and former Ohio men's basketball coach Jim Christian will have the call.  

The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield. Russ Eisenstein returns for his 14th season as the "Voice of the Bobcats" and will be joined by Ohio alum Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for two decades. WXTQ (Power 105) in Athens returns as the 11-station network's flagship.  

STORYLINES
• Ohio is coming off a thrilling 65-64 victory against Rice in the opening round Saturday night. Mark Sears hit the game-winning jumper as time expired to seal the win. 
• This is the Bobcats first appearance in the CBI since 2016. 
• Overall, Ohio is 4-2 all-time in the CBI
• The Bobcats competed in the CBI in 2008 where they advanced to the second round, defeating Brown before falling to Bradley. 
• Ohio against competed in the CBI in 2016, advancing to the quarterfinals after defeating Albany and UNCG, before falling to Morehead State. 
• All games in this year's CBI will take place March 19-24 in the Daytona Beach Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. 
• This is the first all-time meeting between Ohio and Abilene Christian.
• Ohio and Abilene Christian were conference room neighbors last season at the NCAA Tournament, where both teams played Cinderella in their First Round games. 
• Ohio's 25 wins is the fourth-most in program history. 
• Mark Sears and Ban Vander Plas were named First Team All-MAC, while Jason Carter was named Third Team All-MAC. 
• Mark Sears was named to the NABC District 14 First Team, while Ben Vander Plas and Jason Carter were named to the NABC District 14 Second Team. 
• Ben Vander Plas has been named to the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Division I Men's Basketball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and has been named the Division I Academic All-America® of the Year
• Mark Sears has been named the MAC Player of the Week five times this season, with the most recent coming on Jan. 31. 
• Ohio is ranked 113th in the latest NET rankings released on March 13.
•  Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 75.
 • Meanwhile, Abilene Christian is ranked 123rd. 
• The Bobcats rank 13th in the country in turnover margin. 
•  Mark Sears is 12th in the country in free throw percentage and fourth in free throws made (176-of-196). He is also tied for 39th in the country in points per game. 

SCOUTING No. 6 Abilene Christian
No. 6 Abilene Christian enters the matchup with the Bobcats with a 24-10 record after defeating Troy, ---, Sunday night. 

As a team, Abilene Christian averages 76.5 points a game, while shooting 43.6 percent from the field, 31.4 percent from three and 74.9 percent from the line. The Wildcats average 31.1 rebounds, 15.0 assists and 11.1 steals a game. Abilene Christian also averages 1.9 blocks a game and turn the ball over an average of 12.5 times a game. The Wildcats also force 21.4 turnovers a game and lead the nation in turnover margin. 

Opponents average 66.5 points and are shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and 73.0 percent from the line. Abilene Christian's opponents also average 34.7 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game, while adding 5.4 steals and 3.6 blocks. Opponents also turn the ball over an average of 21.4 times a game. 

Individually, Airion Simmons lead ACU with 11.8 points a game, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field, .333 from three and averages 5.5 rebounds a game. Coryon Mason adds 11.8 points per game and shoots 43.9 percent from the field, while Mahki Morris adds 10.9 points a contest. 

SCOUTING No. 3 OHIO
No. 3 Ohio enters the matchup with No. 6 Abilene Christian with a 25-9 record overall after defeating Rice, 65-64 in the CBI opening round. 

The Bobcats average 73.7 points a game, while shooting .429 from the field, .336 from three and .733 from the line. The Bobcats grab 34.1 rebounds a game, while dishing out an average of 12.7 assists and registering 7.5 steals a game. Ohio is averaging 10.4 turnovers a game. 

Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 67.3 points a game, while shooting .441 from the field, .311 from three and .755 from the line. Opponents are averaging 35.2 rebounds, 11.1 assists and 14.3 turnovers a game. 

Individually, Ohio is led by guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.1 points a game, while shooting .441 from the field, .413 from three and .898 from the line. Forward Jason Carter is adding 14.1 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, while forward Ben Vander Plas is averaging 14.1 points a game, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists. 

ALL-TIME IN THE CBI
This is the Bobcats first appearance in the CBI since 2016. 

Overall, Ohio is 4-2 all-time in the CBI

The Bobcats competed in the CBI in 2008 where they advanced to the second round, defeating Brown before falling to Bradley. 

Ohio against competed in the CBI in 2016, advancing to the quarterfinals after defeating Albany and UNCG, before falling to Morehead State. 

All games in this year's CBI will take place March 19-24 in the Daytona Beach Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, Fla. 

ALL TIME VS. Abilene Christian
This is the first all-time meeting between Ohio and Abilene Christian.

FORMER NEIGHBORS
Ohio and Abilene Christian were conference room neighbors last season at the NCAA Tournament, where both teams played Cinderella in their First Round games. 

SMARTEST MAN IN DI BASKETBALL 
Ben Vander Plas has been named to the 2021-22 Academic All-America® Division I Men's Basketball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and has been named the Division I Academic All-America® of the Year

With his recognition on the Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Team First Team, Vander Plas becomes the first Ohio's men's basketball player since Steve Skaggs in 1977 and 1978 to be named to an Academic All-America® Men's Basketball Team twice in his career. 

Vander Plas, who is earning his second master's degree, this one in Management, sports a 3.96 GPA. He is a three-time Academic All-District® Men's Basketball Team selection. After earning his undergraduate degree in communications, Vander Plas earned his Masters of Sport Administration in 2020-21 with a 4.0 GPA.

NABC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
Sophomore guard Mark Sears was named to the NABC All-District First Team, while redshirt senior forward Ben Vander Plas and redshirt fifth year forward Jason Carter were both named to the NABC All-District 14 Second Team. 

This is the second-straight season that the Bobcats have had a representative on the All-District 14 First Team.

A MARCH TO REMEMBER
Last season, the Bobcats entered the MAC Tournament as the 5th seed and won three games in three days en route to their seventh league title. 

The Bobcats defeated Kent State in the quarterfinals, Toledo in the semis and Buffalo in the finals. 

Jason Preston was named the MAC Tournament MVP.

Ohio then entered the NCAA Tournament as the 13th seed and defeated No. 4 Virginia before falling to No. 5 Creighton. 

ALL-MAC HONORS
Three members of the Ohio men's basketball team were named to the 2022 All-MAC Teams. 

Mark Sears and Ben Vander Plas earned a spot on the All-MAC First Team, while Jason Carter was named to the All-MAC Third Team. 

LAST TIME OUT
The Bobcats are coming off of a thrilling 65-64 loss over No. 13 Rice Saturday Night in the opening round. 

Overall, Ohio shot 39 percent from the field, 18 percent from three and were 11-of-15 from the line, while Rice shot 46 percent from the field, 24 percent from three and were 4-of-5 from the line. Rice outrebounded the Bobcats, 41-32, who Ohio registered 10 steals to Rice's four. 

Jason Carter led Ohio with 26 points, going 11-of-19 from the field, while grabbing 12 rebounds. Ben Vander Plas added 13 points and six rebounds, while Sears scored eight points, grabbed six rebounds, and dished out three assists. J Ben Roderick added eight points. 

Leading Rice was Carl Pierre, who scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Travis Evee added 12 points, while Chris Mullins added 11 points and five assists. 

OHIO IN THE NET
Ohio is ranked 113th in the latest NET rankings released on March 13.

Ohio is the second-highest-ranked MAC school, behind Toledo at 75.

Meanwhile, Abilene Christian is ranked 123rd. 

OHIO IN THE NCAA
The Bobcats rank 13th in the country in turnover margin. 

Mark Sears is 12th in the country in free throw percentage and fourth in free throws made (176-of-196). He is also tied for 39th in the country in points per game.  

UP NEXT
With a win, the Bobcats will advance to the semifinals to take on the winner of No. 2 Middle Tennessee State and No. 10 Boston University on Tuesday, Match 22 at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2.  

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