Kat Yelle and Hannah Boesinger both scored double digits, as the Bobcats defeated the Huskies inside The Convo for the first time since 2009.
Even during Ohio’s slow start Wednesday against Northern Illinois, redshirt junior guard Kat Yelle kept making plays.
With a foul called against junior forward Lexie Baldwin right at tipoff, Yelle paced the Bobcats early — scoring five of its first nine points.
Yelle finished with 11 points, sophomore forward Hannah Boesinger led the Bobcats with 13 and Ohio pushed its win streak to four with a 67-40 win. It was also the first time Ohio defeated Northern Illinois in The Convo since 2009.
“Basketball is a game of runs, so we knew that if we kept playing hard, like we do, it would eventually come,” Yelle said.
Through the first half, defense was what held Ohio intact. Junior guards Kiyanna Black and Mariah Harris notched three and two steals, respectively. Both attacked the Huskies’ passing lanes often, as Ohio held Northern Illinois to just six assists overall. Northern Illinois shot just 26 percent from the field.
The Bobcats fought around high pick and rolls set up by Huskies’ forward Renee Sladek, as Ohio plugged the paint often. Boesinger, who came off the bench and shot 5 for 7 from the field, grabbed two offensive boards and scrapped under the basket.
After her performance, Boldon mentioned Boesinger’s tireless work ethic and how it has helped her develop her game this year.
“(Hannah) is a tough kid,” coach Bob Boldon said. “She’s a kid that’s always played hard and has a tremendous motor.”
Sophomore forward Quiera Lampkins struggled to find her shot throughout despite driving the ball well. Lampkins has been a solid piece for Ohio this year so far notching five double-doubles. She finished with six points and three rebounds.
Despite some offensive struggles, however, the Bobcats eventually found a groove.
Yelle, Black, Boesinger and senior guard Mariah Byard all finished with double-digit points, and the Bobcats never trailed. It was the fifteenth time in 17 games Ohio scored 60 or more points this season.
“I came off the bench and just wanted to try running as much as I could and rebounding,” Boesinger said. “I guess it just worked out for us.”
With the win, the Bobcats advanced into uncharted waters Wednesday night. The last time Ohio was 14-3 and 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference was in January of 1995.
Boldon acknowledge this fact and seemed steadfast on still finding ways for improvement.
“It was a win we needed to play all 10 players because of how Northern Illinois plays,” Boldon said. “A number of times they played beyond 25 seconds, that’s a long time to play defense.”
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