OXFORD — In the first half, it seemed no shot could fall for Ohio. The Bobcats struggled to hit nearly every basket.
But in the second half, the Bobcats started hitting easier shots.
They began the second half shooting 4-of-4 from the field, and from then, they didn’t stop making shots. With their offense struggling, the Bobcats opened the second half with 3-pointers from Hannah Boesinger and Yamonie Jenkins. They shot 48.4 percent from the field in the second half.
Despite shooting 29 percent from the field at halftime, Ohio defeated Miami 79-62 in Millett Hall on Saturday, winning its fourth straight game.
Boesinger and Jenkins combined for 28 points, as Boesinger set a new season-high of 17 points.
Jasmine Weatherspoon, the Bobcats’ interior defender, was out because of a leg injury she suffered during Ohio's 80-67 win against Western Michigan. But the Bobcats didn’t struggle much on defense.
They struggled on offense.
The Bobcats, a team that prides themselves on playing solid defense, did enough to maintain a lead, though.
The lack of offensive production, however, was an issue. Ohio (16-4, 7-2 Mid-American Conference) could not score buckets inside to begin the game. The RedHawks clogged the area, making contact with the Bobcats whenever a player entered the key.
Quiera Lampkins, the Bobcats’ leading scorer, perhaps struggled the most against the RedHawks’ (7-14, 1-7 MAC) tight defense. Lampkins began the game shooting 1-of-11 from the field. After starting the game slow, she finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 37.5 percent from the field.
Her performance wasn't representative of the dominance she has had this season, but in the end that didn’t matter.
Despite playing their first game without Weatherspoon, the Bobcats played well again, a staple that will be valued as they continue conference play.
cf710614@ohio.edu
