Black's 39 points help Bobcats survive against a solid Central Michigan team.
Saturday's 86-84 win against Central Michigan was Ohio's first real test in conference play.
While the Bobcats (13-3, 5-0 in Mid-American Conference) have played some of the best teams in the conference, their only close game of the conference season was a seven-point win against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 13.
That was until the Chippewas came into The Convo. The first time Ohio actually took the lead against Central came in overtime.
But the final eight minutes were all Ohio.
"(Saturday), in general, we were probably more lucky than we were good," coach Bob Boldon said. "Sometimes it goes your way, obviously I’m happy that it did."
The Bobcats had an awful first half, in which senior guard Kiyanna Black had five points and Ohio was decimated on the boards.
So what does Boldon say to rectify that in the second half?
"That if we didn’t come out and get rebounds we were going to lose," he said. "And that winning has always been important to these guys.
"You kind of get tricked into thinking, after beating a very good Eastern team at Eastern and getting out rebounded is okay. Central showed us tonight that that’s not okay."
Instead, it was Black who led Ohio with a career-high 39 points. After the game, Boldon said she basically won the game single-handed.
Black had to propel the Bobcats to the win and every time the game seemed out of reach, Black would knock down a deep 3-pointer, drive and kick to an open teammate or make the most cerebral play on the court to keep the game close.
"It felt good because everyone thinks I’m just a great 3-point shooter but I haven’t been making any shots," Black said. "So it’s nice to see them start going in the basket."
Black also talked about how the Bobcats must take their opponents more seriously if they are to keep their undefeated conference record alive.
"We kinda don’t take our opponents serious sometimes and we kinda feel like we can just go through the motions and we can just come out and the win will just be handed to us," she said.
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"But that will never happen. So I think we just have to start with a better effort and better level of focus in the first half."
With a light load of some of the worst teams in the MAC coming up, the Bobcats shouldn't have another serious test until they face Ball State in Muncie on Jan. 30.
And as long as Black continues to batter teams with her offense and Ohio's defense keeps coming up with key stops late on, Ohio should be favorites to repeat as regular-season champions.
@KellenBecoats
kb749012@ohio.edu
