Ohio had climbed up the Mid-American Conference standings after it had upset both Buffalo and Toledo earlier in the week, but it lost traction on Saturday against Western Michigan. It lost its lead after halftime and was defeated by Western Michigan 74-64.
The Bobcats were not shooting as freely as they usually do. Their usual 3-point shooter Kaylee Bambule made just one attempt from beyond the arc in the loss. The Bobcats relied on points in the paint to put them on top, and it backfired.
Here are the numbers to know from Ohio’s loss :
2
The game was only tied twice. The ties occurred within a minute of each other, and both happened while Ohio was trying to retake the lead. Ohio had led for much of the first half, but its lead slipped away after Western Michigan broke through in the third quarter. Yaya Felder sank a free throw for the first tie, and Gabby Burris scored on a layup to tie the game again just 50 seconds later.
Ohio hasn’t had two or fewer ties in a game since it beat Buffalo on Jan. 24. Ohio can go back and forth with its opponents, but it wasn’t able to recover against Western Michigan.
3
Three Bobcats found their way into foul trouble against the Broncos. Cece Hooks ended the game with four, while Hunter Rogan and Bambule each had three. Hooks is no stranger to fouls, but she does not often find herself faced with the possibility of being taken out of a game.
Rogan was in the game for three minutes and fouled three times. She came off of the bench for the first time in the last minute of the second quarter, but she didn’t do much. Rogan did not reenter the game until the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, when she received all three of her fouls. Rogan’s role may have been to draw fouls, but she ended up committing them instead.
11
When the Bobcats play games in Michigan, they excel at the free throw line. They went 11-of-13 from the free throw line against the Broncos, their best night since their road win over Central Michigan on Jan. 15
Hooks, who’s struggled at the free throw line this season, was 5-of-5 from the line. She hasn’t been perfect on free throw attempts since Ohio’s game against Mercyhurst in late November. Hooks’ struggles from the free throw line have persisted throughout the year, but she has been steadily improving since Ohio entered MAC play.
