ATHENS (AP) - Terren Harbut led four players in double figures with 19 points and Ohio held off Marshall 72-66 Monday night in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament.

The fourth-seeded Bobcats (18-10) shot 50 percent from the field (21-for-42) but allowed the 13th-seeded Thundering Herd (6-22) to stay close because of poor free throwing shooting.

Ohio finished 24-for-41 at the line, missing 11 of 18 attempts over the final 1:45. Marshall got as close as four points at 68-64 on A.W. Hamilton's 3-pointer with 47.2 seconds remaining.

Hamilton led the Herd with 18 points and Enoch Bunch added 12.

Sonny Troutman had 17 points, Mychal Green added 16 and Leon Williams scored 13 for the Bobcats. Ohio plays fifth-seeded Kent State in Thursday's quarterfinals in Cleveland.

Ohio led Marshall by as many as 13 points. The Bobcats opened the game on a 10-0 surge as the Herd missed their first four shots and committed three turnovers in the first 3 1/2 minutes.

OHIO 72, MARSHALL 66

MARSHALL

(6-22) 

Anderson 1-1 1-1 3, Patton 3-4 2-2 8, Hamilton 6-14 4-4 18, Bunch 3-7 3-4 12, Dawn 3-7 0-0 8, Zimmerman 0-0 0-0 0, Miles 3-7 0-0 7, Wohlleb 1-1 0-0 3, Whitted 1-6 0-0 3, Carter 2-4 0-0 4, Ward 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-51 10-11 66.

OHIO

(18-10) 

Troutman 3-7 8-14 17, Harbut 7-12 5-10 19, Williams 4-6 5-9 13, Green 4-9 6-8 16, Fears 2-5 0-0 5, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Bridgewater 0-0 0-0 0, Gladney 0-1 0-0 0, Halbert 0-1 0-0 0, Cla.McGowen 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-42 24-41 72.

Halftime-Ohio 33-28. 3-Point Goals-Marshall 10-27 (Bunch 3-6, Dawn 2-6, Hamilton 2-6, Wohlleb 1-1, Miles 1-4, Whitted 1-4), Ohio 6-19 (Troutman 3-7, Green 2-6, Fears 1-4, Gladney 0-1, Halbert 0-1). Fouled Out-Anderson, Carter, Patton. Rebounds-Marshall 30 (Patton, Whitted 6), Ohio 25 (Williams 6). Assists-Marshall 10 (Bunch, Miles 3), Ohio 13 (Green 4). Total Fouls-Marshall 28, Ohio 15. Technicals-Marshall Team. A-5,436.