Ohio hosted Kent State on Saturday at The Convo in hopes of picking up an easy win before heading into next week’s midweek bye. The Golden Flashes had other plans, though. Ohio was pushed the entire game before finally pulling away with a narrow 63-57 victory.
Here are three takeaways from Ohio’s win:
Rough start for Cece Hooks
Cece Hooks had one of the worst starts to a game in her career Saturday. The junior started the game aggressively on both ends of the floor, but to no avail. She was scoreless by the end of the half and was limited to only three shots and had just as many fouls.
Ultimately it didn’t matter how Hooks started but how she finished. Hooks went on to recover in the second half and finished the game with 12 points and eight rebounds
Erica Johnson dominates
When the Bobcats were struggling they could still count on Erica Johnson. She started off the game with two 3-pointers and never cooled off. She played lockdown defense, made quarterback-like passes and finished the day with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Johnson was a major reason why Ohio pulled off the win.
Kent State is on the rise
Their record might not show it (12-9,5-5 MAC) but the Golden Flashes are the real deal. Like in both games last season, Kent State pushed Ohio the entire time. Nila Blackford, a 6-foot-2 freshman, is its best player, and she had a day with 10 points and seven rebounds. The MAC as a whole has gotten stronger, but Kent State may be one of its best examples of the growth.
