Friday was Ohio's first win against a Big 10 team since 1994.
Despite senior guard Kiyanna Black getting into foul trouble early and a heavy reliance on shooting from the perimeter, Ohio was able to beat Indiana, 63-56, in Nashville on Friday for the first game of the Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament.
The Bobcats (3-1) were helped by double-doubles from senior forward Lexie Baldwin and junior forward Jasmine Weatherspoon. Baldwin scored 10 points with 12 rebounds while Weatherspoon had 12 points and 11 rebounds. The win sees coach Bob Boldon move into fifth all-time in program history with 39. It was Ohio’s first win over a Big 10 team since Dec. 14, 1994, when it beat Michigan.
After coming off a dominating 75-54 victory over Winthrop on Nov. 21, the Bobcats found it a bit more difficult to pick up momentum against the Hoosiers. Ohio was very reliant on perimeter shooting throughout much of the game, taking 33 shots and only making nine.
Ohio was also forced to play a good amount of the game without Black, who picked up her fourth foul early in the third quarter and afforded more minutes to freshman guard Dominique Doseck.
The inclusion of Doseck spread the floor well, and the Bobcats were able to get a few more open looks, but they did suffer without their offensive focal point on the floor. But where Black’s scoring was absent, many of the other starters stepped up to carry Ohio to victory.
But its scoring woes were especially evident in the first quarter, as Indiana got off to a hot start, but Ohio answered with a 8-0 run that put it ahead 14-7.
The Hoosiers made it interesting down the stretch, as the game had nine lead changes, but Indiana’s Amanda Cahill getting into foul trouble late in the game killed much of the team’s momentum.
Cahill fouled out in the last minute of the game, but finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Tyra Buss made some crucial free throws in the last few minutes to finish with 14 points and four rebounds.
Black led the Bobcats with 17 points, three rebounds and an assist, despite limited minutes. Ohio’s scoring woes didn’t extend to her, but its shooting inefficiency did, as she went 6 for 17 from the field and 3 for 12 from deep.
Shooting 31.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from the 3-point line isn’t ideal for any program nor is taking nearly half your shots from the perimeter, but as long as Boldon and his team keep grinding out games, that pace and space offense could continue to give problems to their opponents.
Ohio's next game is against host Vanderbilt on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
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