The Bobcats were knocked out of the MAC Tournament by Buffalo, their third loss to Buffalo this season. Ohio will still get a chance to play in the WNIT.
Kiyanna Black was hunched over with her hands on her knees. Quiera Lampkins stood around the free throw line with a look of dejection, and Lexie Baldwin stood at the low block, staring off into space.
With two minutes left in the game, it was clear to the Bobcats on Wednesday afternoon: An upset was coming to The Q. And for the third time this year, the Bobcats fell to Buffalo. This time, 72-60.
The loss knocked the Bobcats out of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, almost certainly the NCAA Tournament.
“This seems to be the team we struggle the most with,” coach Bob Boldon said of Buffalo. “Unfortunately, we haven’t found an answer, and it seems as if we’ve run out of time to find one.”
Very little went well for Ohio. Turnovers, empty possessions and wild shots purged Ohio early. The team recovered and then fell apart again in the third quarter.
“We have the highest turnover margin in the conference and one of the best in the country,” Boldon said. “That’s usually something we do very well, and against Buffalo tonight, it just didn’t go in our favor.”
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Everything wasn't bad for the Bobcats, however.
The lone star for the Bobcats was Lampkins. After scoring 11 points in the second quarter and finishing the first half with 15, she helped give the Bobcats a one-point advantage going into the half. Lampkins finished with 23.
Lampkins and the Bobcats came out with momentum in the third quarter — at one point, Ohio led 41-36, its second largest lead — but turnovers took the game away from the Bobcats and it, once again, became Buffalo’s. This time, the Bulls didn’t sacrifice the lead the rest of the game.
About four minutes were left in the third quarter, and Buffalo forced turnovers and scored on five straight possessions and took a three-point lead on a 12-4 run.
Buffalo closed the quarter on a 14-4 run and left Ohio scoreless for the final six minutes of the third. The Bobcats had yet another scoreless run lasting nearly six minutes, to close the game.
“They got more possessions than us, played a little better and certainly scored better than we did,” Boldon said.
In all three games against Buffalo, Black's presence was missed. She finished the game with 11 points and 3-14 from the field Wednesday. In the three games against Buffalo, Black only shot 21.3 percent from the field and only scored 36 points.
But Black and the Bobcats losing this game means more than an early exit from the MAC Tournament and a bid to the Women's National Invitational Tournament.
It's not the way Black, Baldwin or Mariah Harris imagined their final season ending.
“Unfortunately for KB, Lexie and Maria Harris, they’ve kinda run out of time to teach and learn, and their careers are quickly coming to an end,” Boldon said.
Back-to-back historical years for the Bobcats and they fell three wins short of consecutive MAC titles.
Ohio will have a chance to play in the postseason in the WNIT, starting next week.
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