The seats in The Convo were barren as Ohio (12-9, 6-6 Mid-American Conference) snapped its four-game losing streak with a 66-53 victory over Eastern Michigan on Monday night.
The Bobcats allowed the Eagles (5-6, 2-12 MAC) to clamber ahead early, but the Eagles’ lead did not extend beyond four points — nor the first quarter. A combination of missed shots and a high-performing Bobcat defense sent the Eagles through the ringer.
Eastern Michigan experienced two scoring droughts against Ohio, and both dry spells came during the second half. The first lasted over four minutes in the third period, which the Eagles didn’t shatter until it scored on a pair of free throws from Areanna Combs. The second drought lasted over two minutes but in the fourth period. The Eagles ended the fourth after making just two of its final eight attempts from the field.
Ohio’s defense worked to ensure that Eastern Michigan would not find its feet again. The Bobcats combined for 42 rebounds and found a way to eliminate second chance points when the Eagles missed shots. Gabby Burris led the defensive charge for Ohio. As Ohio’s main defender, Burris stayed in the entire game and hounded Eastern Michigan.
“(Eastern Michigan) missed some shots, but I was very pleased with our defensive effort,” Ohio coach Bob Boldon said. “I thought we cleaned up the misses pretty well.”
Ohio capitalized on Eastern Michigan’s poor shooting. The Bobcats used the droughts to bolster their offense. Three Bobcats ended the night in double figures. Burris walked away with 18 points while Cece Hooks, who returned to the lineup after dealing with an injury, had 12.
But the standout performer for the Bobcats was Yaya Felder. The freshman continued her string of impressive starts by scoring a career-high 20 points. Monday marked the third game in a row that Felder either set a new career high in a stat or tied her previous.
Felder has broken out of her shell at the right time. The freshman is more often than not Ohio’s first choice off the bench, but roster gaps have bumped her up to a starting role. She has played in the stead of several different players because of how shallow Ohio’s roster has been over the past four games.
“(Felder) came into a situation where we’ve kind of thrown her out there, and she’s held up very well,” Boldon said. “She’s started a couple games for us in a row, but if we had positions, this is like the fifth position we’ve started her at.”
Health has been a big question for the Bobcats all season, and it's unclear who will be available by the time the MAC Tournament rolls around. The Bobcats were without regular starter Erica Johnson on Monday, and it is unclear when she will return. Johnson leads the Bobcats in both assists and 3-pointers.
As of right now, the Bobcats are still out of range to receive a MAC Tournament bid. They sit at ninth place in the conference and only the top eight teams get to go. With the Bobcats’ upcoming schedule, whether or not they receive a bid is up in the air. They have to face conference giants Toledo and Buffalo for a second time this season, along with two games against Akron, who sits in third place.
Ohio’s defense may be improving in low-stakes games, but if another one of its leading scorers goes down, it won’t put up much of a fight against the rest of its conference slate. Ohio, like many of its players, is operating on a day-to-day basis.
