C. Michigan meets Ohio in MAC tourney

No. 9 seed Central Michigan (14-17, 7-11) vs. No. 8 seed Ohio (16-15, 8-10)

Mid-American Conference Tourney First Round, Convocation Center, Athens, Ohio; Monday, 11 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Central Michigan is set to face Ohio in the first round of the MAC tourney. The only meeting between the teams this season came on Feb. 18, when Central Michigan made just four 3-pointers on 22 attempts while the Bobcats hit 13 of 27 from deep en route to an eight-point victory.

SAVVY VETERANS: Senior leadership could play a big role in the outcome of this game. . For Central Michigan, Kevin McKay, David DiLeo, Dallas Morgan and Rob Montgomery have collectively accounted for 64 percent of all Central Michigan scoring.

CREATING OFFENSE: Jason Preston has either made or assisted on 69 percent of all Ohio field goals over the last three games. The sophomore guard has accounted for 23 field goals and 25 assists in those games.

WINLESS WHEN: Central Michigan is 0-8 when scoring fewer than 67 points and 14-9 when scoring at least 67.

UNDEFEATED WHEN: The Bobcats are 7-0 when they record 10 or more steals and 9-15 when they fall shy of that mark. The Chippewas are 5-0 when turning the ball over eight times or fewer and 9-17 when the team exceeds that total.

DID YOU KNOW: Central Michigan is ranked first among MAC teams with an average of 78.7 points per game.