Ohio (5-19, 3-10 Mid-American Conference) finally got another MAC win after an impressive performance in The Convo, defeating Northern Illinois (12-13, 5-8 MAC) for the second time this season by a score of 74-70.
In a season filled with losses and injuries, all but eliminated from the MAC Tournament, the win was much needed for the team’s morale. After some stellar defense late and a huge game from senior Kennedi Watkins, the Bobcats secured that much-needed victory.
The first quarter started slowly for Ohio, which found itself down early after a quick 8-0 from Northern Illinois after Ohio’s first basket from Watkins. Lexi Carlson, one of the Huskies’ best shooters, found herself open behind the arc twice and made the Bobcats pay for both mistakes, which Ohio coach Bob Boldon attributes to an error in scheme.
“We started in zone; that was a terrible idea,” Boldon said. "It was my idea; it was a terrible idea, and you guys saw why it was such a bad idea.”
Northern Illinois hot shooting continued after the first few minutes, getting out to a five-of-five start from 3-point range and leading the game by as much as eight in the first.
Ohio bounced back with good shooting of its own, as sophomores Bailey Tabeling and Asiah Baxter made consecutive 3-pointers to get back in the game.
Watkins continued her dominant start after the boost of those 3-pointers from Tabeling and Baxter, finishing the first quarter with 9 points as Ohio trailed by 2.
“(There were matchups that) went in my favor today,” Watkins said. “I'm blessed for that, and I'm grateful that my teammates were able to find me the ball at the right spots.”
The second frame of action was one of the best of the season for Ohio, as the offense and defense were clicking.
The three turnovers Ohio forced were all big plays that turned into instant offense, with freshman Gigi Bower getting the steal before finding Kate Dennis for a three-on-one play, then Kennedi Watkins taking a steal coast to coast for a bucket on another.
Ohio shot 60 percent from the floor in the second and held the lead going into halftime, partially thanks to the efficient offense.
“(The offense is) starting to click,” Boldon said. “It looks a little bit better, and that comes with work.”
Despite the good showing on offense in the first half, Ohio’s lead slipped in the third quarter, even falling behind by as much as two scores in the third quarter.
Northern Illinois found its stroke shooting again, going 8-of-14 in the quarter en route to a 19-point frame that would firmly get it back in the game.
The quarter would end well for Ohio, though, as on the last possession of the quarter, Watkins euro stepped her way into the paint for an open look that she finished, adding to her game-high 23 points and tying the game before the buzzer.
Those positive plays carried into the final frame, where Ohio was able to seal a huge win thanks to some lockdown defense all quarter.
The Bobcats held Northern Illinois to just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting from the floor and one-of-nine shooting on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
Ohio was also able to get stops when it mattered, as the Huskies went just 1-of-10 to end the game, ending the game without a field goal in the last three-and-a-half minutes.
That final stretch of solid defense, combined with some Bailey Tabeling free throws, closed out a needed and resilient win for Ohio.
“We're feeling really good,” graduate student Anyssa Jones said. “We haven't had the best season, and I think there was kind of this discouragement factor, but it didn't stop how hard we worked in practice, and it feels good knowing our continuous hard work paid off today.”
