Coming off a strong performance against Northern Illinois, Ohio knows it’s one
thing to enjoy the show, but it’s another thing to take the stage.
The 10th-seeded Bobcats traveled directly from DeKalb, Ill., to Cleveland to continue playing in the Mid-American Conference Tournament after an upset win against the seventh-seeded Huskies.
The win gave Ohio (9-21, 4-12 MAC) its third set of back-to-back wins this season. It also marked the second straight 70-point performance for the team that had not put 70 on the board in more than a year.
Next up is a third date with Bowling Green. In both of their previous matchups, the Bobcats trailed by only four points at halftime before surrendering to the Falcons’ experienced offensive attack.
Bowling Green (25-4, 13-3 MAC) will rely on its unparalleled leadership to upend Ohio. The Falcons have 10 players on their roster that have played
at Quicken Loans Arena in a MAC Tournament game. With Thia Gholson out with an injury, only one Bobcat — senior Kamille Buckner — has played at “The Q.”
“We can’t use that as an excuse. We don’t think about it that way,” said freshman Erin Bailes, whose 23 points paced Ohio in the first round.
“We’re just trying to stay focused, one game at a time.”
The Bobcats have lost six consecutive games to the Falcons and are 19-50 against them all-time. But Ohio has walked away with the upper hand the last two times the teams met in the tournament.
Despite two convincing wins in a row and a history of tournament success against a conference powerhouse, coach Semeka Randall said she her team is not calculating its chances at an upset MAC title bid.
“Absolutely not. That’s my job, and I won’t allow that to happen,” she said. “The majority of the team has not been here. We’ll take in as much as possible but focus on what we’ve been concentrating on.”
The first-round victory alone is a positive note to highlight a disappointing
season. The Bobcats will tie the program record for most losses in a season unless they finish it by winning the MAC and NCAA Tournaments.
Ohio has not advanced past the second round in the MAC Tournament since 2008, when the team lost the championship game against Miami.
“I think we’re all on the same page,” Bailes said. “We’re all coming out to play. There will be no home-court advantage, which is good. We’re ready for Bowling Green, and we all really want it now.”
ms229908@ohiou.edu
@ThePostSports
