Ohio defeated Buffalo 74-71 on the road in overtime in its Mid-American Conference opener Saturday at Alumni Arena. The win continued Ohio’s (12-0, 1-0 MAC) historic start, but most importantly for the Bobcats, is a road win over one of the top teams in the conference.
Here are some important numbers from Ohio’s win over Buffalo.
29 - Days sooner. Ohio got its 12th win Saturday, a mark that it didn’t reach until Feb. 3 last season. The undefeated start to the season is the best in program history for the Bobcats and if the winning continues, it could be the best year in program history.
12 - Fewer turnovers for the Bobcats than the Bulls. Ohio trailed Buffalo by 10 at halftime and needed a way to climb back into the game. Turnovers played a key role in the Bobcats’ comeback. Ohio had 22 points off 29 Buffalo turnovers, and that made a difference.
10 - Points and rebounds for Amani Burke. Burke had her first career double-double Saturday when she finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Burke also got the go-ahead bucket in overtime when she spun between two defenders for the layup with 34 seconds remaining.
7- Steals for point guard Cece Hooks. Hooks lead all scorers with 21 points Saturday, but her defense also played a vital role in the Bobcats win. Hooks jumped passing lanes, stripped ball handlers, and that led to easy points for Ohio. Hooks has been a defensive terror all season. Currently, she ranks among the top ten nationally in both steals (52) and steals per game (4.33).
7- Points off the bench for the Bobcats. That number is small for Ohio considering Erica Johnson didn’t start Saturday. She scored all seven of the team’s bench points. In Ohio’s most competitive game this season, coach Bob Boldon seldom looked toward his bench as key role players Kendall Jessing and Deesh Beck barley had a chance to contribute.
4- 3-pointers for Dominique Doseck, she went 4-of-10 from 3-point range and the Bobcats needed every one. Currently she makes three 3-pointers per game and is shooting 45 percent from 3-point range. With drivers like Hooks, Johnson and Burke, Ohio will look to Doseck to continue being its 3-point specialist.
1- Win in the MAC. All season, no matter who Ohio had just beaten, Boldon has felt that Ohio wasn’t sharp enough for MAC play. Again, the Bobcats didn’t play their best basketball for four quarters, but they played well enough to beat the best the conference has to offer on the road. The win cements that Ohio deserves to be in the same conversation as Buffalo and Central Michigan — who the Bobcats play on Wednesday — as the best in the MAC.
