Ohio forced 24 turnovers.
Forcing nine turnovers in 11 possessions during the second quarter, Ohio clamped down defensively Tuesday night with a 72-49 win against Middle Tennessee State in The Convo.
After a 23-23 first quarter, Middle Tennessee State only scored six points in the second quarter, giving Ohio a 44-29 advantage it never lost.
“The first quarter we got caught up in scoring,” coach Bob Boldon said. “That’s not how we really play. I thought the second and third quarter we really locked in on our defensive principles.”
During Middle Tennessee State’s 11-possession collapse, the Blue Raiders struggled in the front court, either with pass attempts going out of bounds or committing offensive fouls. The Blue Raiders had four during the second-quarter stretch.
Ohio forced 24 turnovers. The team has forced an average of 15.3 turnovers per game entering Tuesday’s matchup.
“I thought the defense got a little sloppy at the end, but that happens when you’re up 20-something points,” Boldon said.
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While the Blue Raiders struggled to produce any offensive productivity, the Bobcats went on a 15-3 run to close the first half.
Boldon considered the game a collective team effort, rather than guards Kiyanna Black and Quiera Lampkins dominating the usual stat lines.
Black finished the game with 10, which all came in the first half. Lampkins had 11 points, with nine in the first half. Forward Lexie Baldwin led all scorers with 12 points.
“It was nice to see those kids with double figures,” Boldon said. “But we kind of diversified our offense.”
The win closes Ohio’s non-conference portion of the schedule with an 8-3 record. Mid-American Conference play begins Jan. 2 against Western Michigan, which was one of two conference teams to beat Ohio in 2014-15.
“We’re in a good spot,” Boldon said. “We all remember (Western) beating us last year at their place, so we have some work to do before this weekend.”
@charliehatch_
gh181212@ohio.edu
