After a triumphant performance against Akron in their first game of MAC play, Ohio (4-9, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) has since dropped its last two games, with its latest loss coming against Northern Illinois (8-6, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) in a 67-62 loss at home.
With the new year underway, Ohio is still looking to get its feet under them as they get deeper into conference play. Ohio is now sitting at 1-2 overall, averaging just 64 points per game in conference play.
The Bobcats’ offensive shortcomings were on full display against the Huskies, shooting around below their averages from all across the floor, including 45.2% from two, 24.1% from three, and 50.0% from on free throws.
Free throw shooting has been an issue for the Bobcats all season, as they’ve struggled to secure the easy points at the line. On the season, Ohio is shooting just 63.6% from the line, ranking in the bottom 30 in the country in efficiency.
Against the Huskies, the free throw discrepancy is part of what led to Ohio losing the game. Not only did Ohio only shoot six total, making three, but the team allowed Northern Illinois to more than double it up, going 11-of-15 from the line.
On top of that, the Bobcats continued their streak of losing the rebounding battle significantly, with the Huskies grabbing 47 boards to the Bobcats’ 31. The Bobcats kept things relatively stable on the offensive end, only conceding three more offensive rebounds to the Huskies.
One player specifically dominated on the glass for Northern Illinois, Brooke Stonebraker, who logged 13 boards in the matchup. Stonebraker also led all scorers in the game with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-5 from the line. At 6-foot-3, Stonebraker served as a stalwart around the rim, preventing Ohio from getting easy offense.
For the Bobcats, the bright spots were few and far between overall. One of the brightest spots has been freshman Monica Williams’ continued breakout in conference play. Williams, who had recorded zero double-digit scoring games heading into MAC play, has recorded two consecutive games of 10 or more, with a career-high 15 against Kent State and 10 against Northern Illinois, making at least two-thirds of her shots in both games.
Peyton Guice’s minutes continue to ramp up in conference play as well, especially with the absence of Jaya McClure in the last two for the Bobcats. The Bobcats have appreciated the veteran’s presence in the backcourt, as she led the team in assists against the Huskies with four total.
However, it was still a poor shooting performance overall for the Bobcats, with key contributors Kennedi Watkins, Bengisu Alper, and Bailey Tabeling shooting a combined 10-of-37. Without McClure, Ohio has been hard-pressed to find consistent offense, especially off the dribble. Ohio has struggled to generate open looks from behind the arc, which was a major reason behind how it won four games thus far.
The Bobcats' previous hot shooting has been hard to find in recent matchups, but if they want to win deeper in their schedule and potentially make the MAC tournament, they’ll have to rekindle their fire from outside.
