It's been an ugly start to the year for Ohio (0-4,0-0 Mid-American Conference), and on Sunday it only got uglier.
Going against IUPUI (3-2, 0-0 Horizon League), Ohio needed to get off to a solid start and it failed to do so. After playing very solid defense against Ohio State, it appeared as if Ohio had found a rhythm on that end, but early against IUPUI, it was obvious that wasn't the case.
The Panthers scored 31 points in the first quarter to take a 16-point lead over the Bobcats.
The Bobcats' best players showed up in the second quarter to help them get back in the game. Caitlyn Kroll and Yaya Felder both made some shots, and the Bobcats were able to cut the deficit to 11 at halftime.
The second half didn't go much better for the Bobcats, as the Panthers continued their high level of offensive play, and the Bobcats struggled to keep up. The Panthers scored 28 points in the third quarter to take away any energy the Bobcats may have had coming into the second half.
By the start of the fourth quarter, the Panthers held a 17-point lead, and although the Bobcats were finishing off one of their best offensive performances of the year, their defense couldn't keep the Panthers in check. The Bobcats ended up losing the game 97-86 after scoring the final eight points of the game.
Ohio is now 0-4 on the season and has lost both of its road games.
Yaya Felder set another career-high in points, after setting her previous career-high against Ohio State. She led the Bobcats with 26 points. Felder also had eight rebounds and two blocks. Kate Dennis had a solid performance for the Bobcats, scoring an efficient 12 points. Kendall Hale and Jaya McClure were the only other Bobcats in double figures, as they both went for 11 points. Kroll struggled to score for the Bobcats, but she got other teammates involved, leading the team with five assists.
