Sears led Ohio with 37 points, going 10-of-19 from the field, 1-of-4 from three and 16-of-21 from the line. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists. Redshirt senior Ben Vander Plas (Ripon, Wis.) added 19 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman forward AJ Clayton added 11 points and grabbed four rebounds.
Overall, Ohio shot 49 percent from the field, 30 percent from three and were 27-of-40 from the line, while ACU shot 54 percent from the field, 44 percent from three and were 25-of-29 from the line. Ohio outrebounded ACU, 34-29, while the Wildcats dished out 18 assists to Ohio's 10.
The Bobcat's opened scoring with a free throw, but Abilene Christian ran off eight straight points and never trailed after that. It led by as many as nine and held a 36-29 halftime advantage.
Ohio twice pulled within three in the final stanza, but ACU expanded its lead to 10 points several times before finishing with a five-point edge.