SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Size and defense were two of Ohio’s biggest concerns coming into the 2021-22 season, and the reasons why were obvious in its 105-69 season-opening blowout at the hands of Notre Dame on Tuesday night at Purcell Pavilion.
Even in a competitive first half, it was clear that the size of the Fighting Irish was causing problems for the Bobcats. The Fighting Irish were routinely getting open looks inside and some poor finishing played a significant role in keeping the Bobcats in the game.
In the second half, those misses turned into makes, and Ohio was blown out of the water. In the third quarter, Notre Dame outscored Ohio 34-13 and shot over 70% from the field in the process of turning a slim five-point halftime lead into a commanding 26-point advantage.
“We played well for a little bit,” Ohio coach Bob Boldon said. “We just didn’t play well for long enough.”
It wasn’t just on offense that Notre Dame’s size gave Ohio problems, however. Notre Dame had 10 blocks over the course of the game, with four of them coming in the third quarter. Ohio’s inability to score or stop Notre Dame from scoring inside was on display all night but particularly in the third quarter.
No Fighting Irish player took more advantage of that inability than forward Maya Dodson, who dominated the Bobcats all night on both ends of the floor. She had 25 points, six rebounds and four blocks, and the Bobcats had no answer for her, especially in the third quarter. She outscored the Bobcats by herself with 14 in the quarter, and most of them were open layups.
Fortunately for Ohio, it likely will not have to deal with the type of size and skill that Notre Dame features again this season.
“We’re talking about a team that is probably going to end up being in the top 25 when it’s all said and done,” Boldon said. “The difference won’t be that glaring in conference play, at least I hope it won’t.”
Even if they don’t play teams with the same combination of size and skill that the Irish possess, how the Bobcats deal with size will continue to be a significant factor in their strategy, as it has always been under Boldon.
“We’re always going to be a little bit smaller than the team we’re playing,” Boldon said. “By the nature of the way we play and the players that we recruit.”
The Bobcats possess many of the aspects that make up a successful team, such as talent, experience and excellent coaching, but if they had any notion that they were going to simply waltz to a Mid-American Conference title this season, they suffered a rude awakening Tuesday night.
For the second year in a row, the biggest question Ohio will have to answer is whether or not they can defend well enough to meet their lofty expectations. Because while Ohio did struggle on offense and was far too loose with the ball, it was blown out in South Bend because it was simply unable to defend the rim.
On the bright side for the Bobcats, however, the Fighting Irish are probably the best team they will face in the regular season, and their defensive struggles should not be as much of an issue against lesser opponents.
The Bobcats have the potential to make the NCAA Tournament this season, and now they know exactly what is waiting for them should they do so. Before they can get there, however, they must figure out how to stop opponents from getting whatever they want inside as the Fighting Irish did.
