Ohio (3-13 overall, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) continued its streak of losses, extending the losing streak to four straight games after falling in a hard-fought game on the road against Toledo (12-4 overall, 4-2 MAC).
A depleted Bobcats team which is missing guards Jaya McClure and Monica Williams played a solid game, but the Rockets' efficient scoring was too much to overcome after four quarters.
The first quarter was a welcome sign and start for an Ohio team that struggled against its MAC competition as of late. Ohio ended up winning the first quarter by a score of 13-12 after a strong start from Dayton transfer Anyssa Jones where she scored 6 quick points off the bench.
Ohio shot 50% from the floor and made its only 3-pointer via Asiah Baxter in the first quarter, all while holding a solid Toledo offense to just 3-10 shooting from the floor.
The strong start proved short-lived for Ohio, as Toledo utterly dominated the second quarter with Ohio unable to get anything going offensively.
Ohio shot just 2-11 from the floor, with an Asiah Baxter 3-pointer and a bucket from Aliyah McWhorter being the only two shots to fall all quarter for the Bobcats.
The Bobcats did shoot 8-11 from the foul line, which kept the quarter from seriously getting out of hand, especially with Toledo graduate student guard Khera Goss going three-for-three from the 3-point line in the quarter en route to an 11-point frame.
Ohio entered the second half down by double digits despite keeping pace with Toledo in terms of rebounds and turnovers, two things which have been big issues all season. The 8-23 shooting number from the floor was the main culprit for the deficit.
The third continued to be a struggle for Ohio as Toledo kept shooting the ball consistently well, going over 50% from both the floor and from three.
Kennedi Watkins’ stellar second half proved to be a bright spot for Ohio in a game without many, and she really got going in the second quarter, going for 12 points on 4-6 shooting along with four free throws.
Going into the fourth quarter, Ohio faced a bad deficit but showed plenty of fight, winning the fourth quarter by a point after good showings from a few bench players along with Kennedi Watkins. Watkins, the senior guard, continued her excellent second half, going for 11 points on 4-5 shooting from the floor, along with knocking down both of the 3-pointers she attempted. Watkins was joined by Jones and Cassidy Lafler in solid scoring quarters, as Jones had 6 points on 3-5 shooting while Lafler had 4 on 2-2 shooting.
Even with the strong showing in the fourth quarter, Toledo didn't let its foot off the gas pedal, as seven different players scored in the fourth, finishing out a solid home win for the Rockets.
Ohio will play another road game on Wednesday when it travels to Buffalo to play one of the stars of the MAC in Chellia Watson.
