No matter how the cards are dealt to the Bobcats, a win has not been a part of their deck.
Ohio (7-21, 3-12 Mid-American Conference) lost 70-65 to Buffalo (15-13, 8-7 MAC) Saturday to extend its losing streak to six games.
“It’s the same characteristics of every game we come out and play,” coach Semeka Randall said. “For the most part for example, we came out and, we started off pretty well … We went into the locker room and came out with no energy.”
The Bobcats went into the locker room at halftime with a 35-26 lead, having led the Bulls for the entire half.
But the Bobcats fell into their recent pattern of letting leads slip through their fingers in the second half. After a quick 8-0 run gave Buffalo the lead, Ohio never regained the advantage.
“I think we let them go off on a way,” guard Tenishia Benson said. “What we did do, which most of the time we don’t, was we scored as well. Normally, they go off, and we don’t score … and it just was trading buckets, and then they just took off.”
Buffalo forward Kourtney Brown, who burned the Bobcats for 31 points in January, was limited to 15 points Saturday. Nicki Hopkins led the Bulls with 17 points.
“(Brown) was really a player of interest, and we really wanted to slow her down and really contain her,” Benson said. “We did that during the first half, but of course she is a great player and she came back in the second half.”
Ohio blocked shots against Brown, especially in the first half, but Ohio’s defensive focus on her freed Hopkins behind the 3-point line, as she made five 3s.
“She is a deep shooter, and she was launching them pretty much from half court, and we let her go off,” Benson said. “(To guard her), you have to go outside the arc and then be able to get in the passing lane so they don’t pass it down to Kourtney. So she stretched us very thin.”
Ohio center Thia Gholson sat out again Saturday. She played against Akron last weekend, where she played 21 minutes and scored three points.
“It definitely is a (dynamic change) because our numbers are low,” Benson said. “We’ve been able to manage, but I am sure for the post players, it has been a struggle.”
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