Ohio (4-16, 2-8 Mid-American Conference) continued its road trip with the second of three straight road games. This stop on the trip was in Mount Pleasant to battle Central Michigan (8-13, 4-6 MAC). Ohio looked to shake its two-game losing skid but was unsuccessful, falling 75-48.
The game's physical nature allowed Central Michigan to dominate the first quarter with tough defense, forcing a good amount of pressure on Ohio that resulted in a couple of turnovers.
The Chippewas dominated the opening period and held a 25-10 lead heading into the second quarter. The Bobcats didn’t make a 3-pointer in the first quarter, contributing to an overall poor offensive performance that resulted in a big deficit early.
Ohio kept pace with Central Michigan through the first five minutes of the second quarter, making more shots in the paint as well as from three. However, Central Michigan was still thriving, especially on defense, forcing five turnovers and scoring 6 points off them.
The first half ended after more of the same. The Chippewas drew contact, getting to the line for some points and still knocking down their open looks to extend the lead. The Chippewas kept the defensive pressure on and controlled the boards to take a 48-22 lead into the locker room.
Ohio needed a spark on the scoreboard, and senior Kennedi Watkins looked to give it to them. Watkins hit a corner 3-pointer to put her in double digits for the night. Central Michigan was not fazed and returned to work inside the paint, getting to the free-throw line to keep the lead growing at 56-27.
The third quarter ended with a couple of baskets both ways before junior Cassidy Lafler beat the buzzer to make it 72-37 to end the third.
Ohio started the fourth quarter strong on defense, not allowing a field goal in the first two minutes of action. The points would not come easily for either team though. At the midway point, Central Michigan led the quarter 3-2, and the two teams shot 0.07 from the field during the period.
The Bobcats came out of a timeout with an and-1 from senior Anyssa Jones, coupled by back-to-back 3-pointers from senior Kate Dennis. The Bobcats would win the quarter 11-3, but it was too little too late.
Watkins led the way with 17 points, three rebounds and two steals to lead Ohio. She was followed by Jones, who had 4 points but impacted the game in other ways with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Next, the Bobcats will see their first and only non-conference opponent since the calendar turned to 2025. Ohio will compete in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge on Saturday and look to turn things around against an unknown foe in Southern Mississippi.
