Losing Tuesday’s contest against Miami hurt the Bobcats’ overall record, but no team leapt over Ohio in the Mid-American Conference tournament seeding.
The Bobcats have locked up the eighth seed in the tournament and will be hosting a first-round game against the Golden Flashes this Saturday. Ohio split its two games against Kent State earlier this season.
Ohio (13-17, 6-10 MAC) fought back to tie Miami late in the game, but a basket by Rachael Hencke with almost no time remaining secured the 51-49 victory for the RedHawks (21-8, 11-5 MAC) Tuesday night.
Hencke scored over Ashley Fowler with five seconds remaining in the game. Fowler took the inbound pass and rushed down the court and took a hurried shot that hit the bottom of the rim as time expired.
After struggling through 28 minutes of play and one field goal against Buffalo, sophomore Shavon Robinson netted seven points in the first half against Miami. She led the Bobcats with 14 points.
“She’s learning to be consistent,” coach Semeka Randall said. “If she can continue that, that will help this team.”
The first half was a different kind of “Battle of the Bricks.” Ohio kept the game close despite shooting 25 percent from the field. Miami did not shoot particularly well either from inside the arc.
Beyond the arc was a different story, though, as Miami shot 57 percent in the first half with Maggie Boyer making two 3-pointers.
Randall said she was disappointed with her team coming out flat in the first half and that the team will need to play a complete game to succeed in the conference tournament.
“You can do some special things in the tournament,” she said. “But you are not going to win games by playing the first half like we did.”
One positive for Ohio in the first half was limiting junior guard Courtney Osborn, one of the conference’s more potent offensive threats, to three points. But in the second half, Osborn took the game over and took advantage of opportunities.
Senior guard Tenishia Benson fouled Osborn on a 3-point attempt. She converted all three attempts to give the RedHawks a four-point lead with 6:49 to play.
Randall said she made her opportunities count, and that was what made her influence on the game troublesome for Ohio.
Osborn converted on all seven attempts from the line in the second half. She finished with 14 points in the game.
nr225008@ohiou.edu
