Ohio (0-1 overall, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) started its season on the worst possible foot Saturday, giving up a large lead to Appalachian State (2-0 overall, 0-0 Sun Belt) and losing 71-64.
For the first three-quarters of action against Appalachian State Saturday, everything was going to plan. It was an error-filled final quarter that would prove insurmountable for Ohio.
The opening slate of action saw the Bobcats thriving. The offense maintained the same red-hot first-quarter shooting that was displayed in the team’s scrimmage against Marietta, going 5-8 from three-point land in the first quarter. The defense also showed up in a big way, forcing nine Mountaineers turnovers and holding them to just seven total first-quarter points.
Ohio didn’t slow down at any point in the second quarter. The defense was again suffocating, forcing inefficient shooting numbers from the Mountaineers. Appalachian State shot 6-18 from the field and 1-6 from three in the second quarter. Ohio also forced plenty of mistakes from Appalachian State, ending the quarter with eight turnovers forced. These turnovers were key to the Bobcats’ success in the first half, forcing a total of 17 turnovers and finishing with 13 points coming off those turnovers. Ohio even got up to a 20-point lead in the second quarter following a strong finish from Madi Mace on a fastbreak layup. The first 20 minutes of action were all Bobcats, and they entered the locker room in Boone leading 39-23.
Cracks started to show in Ohio’s game in the third quarter. The biggest was rebounding, and Appalachian State took advantage of the weakness outrebounding Ohio 18-10 in the third quarter. The Bobcats were able to keep the good shooting up, however, and finished the quarter at an even 50% from the field. The keen shooting was paramount to not letting the Mountaineers back into the game in the third quarter as turnovers began to pop up for the Bobcats. Poor rebounding and sloppy play with the basketball could’ve been detrimental for the Bobcats in the third quarter. Luckily for Ohio, they still narrowly outscored the Mountaineers 18-17 in the third quarter and entered the final 10 minutes with a 17-point cushion.
The fourth quarter truly could not have gone worse for Ohio. The Bobcats were outscored 31-7 and totaled 11 turnovers in the final quarter alone. Appalachian State displayed relentless play on the boards and in the paint, and this proved to be instrumental in the team’s comeback. The Mountaineers took 18 free throws in the final quarter and made 12 of them, outsourcing the entire Bobcat offense from the line alone. Appalachian State was able to go on a 19-0 run at one point in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers out-rebounded the Bobcats enough to complete their comeback, winning 71-64.
On the bright side for Ohio, this was just the first game of a young season and the first of a new starting lineup playing in a game that counts. The mistakes prominent for the Bobcats, such as rebounding and turnovers, can also be fixed. Shooting and overall defense was not an issue for Ohio, shooting 43.6% compared to Appalachian State’s 29.9%. Ultimately, however, it was a brutal loss and a missed opportunity to start the season with a win on the road against a tough opponent.
