In a game where defense controlled the outcome, Ohio was the stingier side Wednesday afternoon.
Ohio held Middle Tennessee to 40.4 percent shooting at Murphy Arena in the 73-52 win.
The Bobcats were not without their shortcomings against the Blue Raiders, however. They posted an unpleasant 42.1 percent shooting percentage and were out-rebounded by 18.
With defense and perserverance, however, Ohio eventually wore Middle Tennessee down.
Ohio began the game with its second-best first quarter point differential of the season. The Bobcats led by seven after one.
By halftime, that lead was cut to three. A few minutes into the third quarter, Middle Tennessee had its first lead since they opened the game 2-0.
Ohio's struggles with defending the interior without fouling was the main issue during that stretch. Middle Tennessee finished with 30 points inside and 18 free throw attempts. Much of that damage was done in the second and third quarters.
By the fourth quarter, though, Middle Tennessee’s brief third quarter lead was as much an outlier as the initial 2-0 lead.
Ohio finished the third quarter on a 13-2 run, part of a 34-14 run in the last 14 minutes of play.
“I thought (the players) handled a little bit of adversity,” coach Bob Boldon said. “Handled a (Middle Tennessee) run that gave them the lead in the second half and really responded.”
Jasmine Weatherspoon was the offensive catalyst for Ohio, as she finished with 17 points on 5-of-9 from the 3-point line. The rest of the Bobcats followed Weatherspoon’s lead, shooting 42 percent as a team from 3-point range.
“I guess the most exciting thing is it wasn’t just (Quiera Lampkins) driving to the basket and scoring,” Boldon said. “That’s probably the most exciting thing is to see a team win.”
Middle Tennessee made it to the NCAA tournament last season and Ohio has defeated the Blue Raiders handily two years in a row. This year it was on the road in front of thousands of elementary school children who made sure they were heard from.
Boldon was not thrilled with how his team started the season before Thanksgiving, but Ohio has proven it can beat NCAA Tournament quality teams, and that is a step in the right direction.
“These guys win their conference and go to the tournament an awful lot,” Boldon said. “So, I’m really proud of the way we came in here and got away with a win.”
