D.J. Cooper scored 12 points and dished 10 assists as Ohio beat UT-Martin 74-65 on Sunday in the season opener for both teams.
Cooper, who was Ohio's leading scorer last season, was one of three Bobcats to score in double digits. Walter Offutt scored 17 points and Reggie Keely added 16 from the bench.
Ohio opened the game on a 30-13 run. During that span, Cooper tallied three points and five assists. Cooper's fast break layup at the end of the first half gave Ohio a 40-21 lead going into the break.
UT-Martin fought back in the second half behind the scoring of Jeremy Washington and Taylor Miles. Washington scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half, and Miles' 11 points came during the same period.
But Ohio's defensive pressure proved too much, as the Bobcats forced UT-Martin to commit 23 turnovers, 15 in the first half.
