Despite a disparity in length, Ohio used 3-point shooting to defeat Buffalo for the second time this season.
It was only fitting that Ohio broke it’s program record for 3-pointers made in a season against a Buffalo team known for rugged play inside the paint.
Earlier in the week, coach Bob Boldon expressed concern for Buffalo’s rebounding ability and the plays it ran inside the key. He said the Bulls had a “strong inside presence” and it showed right from the start Wednesday night when Bulls forward Kristen Sharkey scored off a rebound and battled inside the block 23 seconds in.
“Did you go to the game? They’re huge,” Boldon said. “They’re very physical and obviously 14 offensive rebounds, they rebound the heck out of the basketball and they really try to pound you in the paint.”
After playing at Buffalo last year, Boldon called Ohio’s loss one of the “ugliest games he’s ever seen” and parallels could be drawn from Wednesday night’s 78-70 win in The Convo.
Buffalo coach Felisha Legette-Jack was called for a technical foul during the second half and the Bulls applied full-court defensive pressure to the Bobcats’ primary ball handlers — redshirt junior Kat Yelle and sophomore Yamonie Jenkins.
The Bobcats’ frontcourt was also consumed by the Bulls’ size and off-ball screens, but it was senior guard Mariah Byard’s 3-point shooting, one of which was the 235th this season, that pushed Ohio past Buffalo for the second time this season. The win clinched Ohio’s first Mid-American Conference East Division title ever.
Byard would finish with 16 points, junior guard Kiyanna Black led the Bobcats with 29 points and Quiera Lampkins had 15 points and six rebounds. The Bobcats shot 42 percent from the field and went 9-for-26 from beyond the arc.
“I really didn’t know (the Bobcats clinched the MAC East),” Byard said. ”It’s really great, I can’t really put it any other way. It’s really a great year to go out on. My first three years were kinda tough and so for us to accomplish something like that is awesome.”
Spacing and ball movement were vital for the Bobcats, as Byard and Black found open shots in part to Ohio’s passing and rhythm offensively.
Despite the win, however, Boldon was upset about Ohio’s second half defense. The Bobcats (22-4, 13-2 MAC) sacrificed 46 points in the second half after giving up 26 in the first.
“I thought Buffalo did a great job of hanging in there,” Boldon said. “We got up 21 and they didn’t back down. They came at us, they started pressing us a little bit and we had some turnovers … that’s a problem we need to fix.”
For Byard, her record-setting 3-pointer added to her already decorated career since joining Ohio in 2011. Her 189 3-pointers made is second-best in program history and her nine points per game have helped Ohio reach its best record since 1994.
Black’s performance shouldn’t be overlooked, either. She scored 25-plus points for the second consecutive game and her shooting against the Bulls (15-11, 8-7 MAC) spaced the Bobcat’s offense.
Black became Ohio’s 14th 1,000-point scorer against Bowling Green on Feb. 11 and has become one of the Bobcats’ vocal leaders in the locker room.
“I’m just felt like I haven’t been as aggressive, I haven’t been happy with the way I’m playing the last few games, so I just attack more and not live on the 3-point line,” Black said.
@Lukeoroark
Lr514812@ohio.edu
