3-point shooting has been one of the most inconsistent aspects of Ohio’s game this season. However, Ohio had one of its best shooting nights in Monday’s 66-53 win over Eastern Michigan, and it was a good thing it did.
Monday night’s contest was sloppy on both ends, as the two teams combined for 33 total turnovers and both shot under 40% from the floor. The one place the Bobcats were not sloppy, however, was from beyond the arc.
The Bobcats (12-9, 6-6 Mid-American Conference) were 11-of-22 from 3-point territory, tied for their best 3-point percentage in any game this season. Led by Gabby Burris, who knocked down four of her seven attempts, the Bobcats had six different players hit a 3-pointer and went 6-of-11 from beyond the arc in the second half.
Ohio’s 3-point shooting has fluctuated wildly this season, and there is no better example than in its past two games. It made 22 attempts in each game, but it only made four in its loss to Western Michigan last Saturday. On Monday, it sank 11 3-point attempts.
It has seemed at times this season as though Ohio’s success — or failure — from downtown is random, but there was a clear effort Monday to make extra passes, which led to a number of open looks.
Burris, who had her best 3-point shooting night in almost three weeks, said the Bobcats were moving the ball better than they had been during their losing streak.
“I think we were just able to find the open player and move the ball like we know how to,” Burris said. “And that creates open shots, when we’re cutting, passing and driving and being aggressive.”
Ohio coach Bob Boldon also saw how selfless his players were Monday night. Ohio played with discipline, which is something that had waned during its four-game losing streak.
“I thought we did a good job of not taking bad shots and just kind of throwing the ball up at the rim because we were close to it,” Boldon said. “And I think we did a good job kicking it out and I thought the ball moved well.”
This increased ball movement is something the Bobcats are going to need as the season winds down. They still sit just outside the MAC Tournament picture, and six of their final seven games are against teams that rank above them in the conference standings.
With Cece Hooks only just returning from injury and Erica Johnson missing Monday’s game, Ohio will need to lean on its entire roster to make a run at the end of the season and qualify for the MAC Tournament.
The 3-point shooting displayed at The Convo on Monday night was a good start, but the Bobcats got away with a lot of sloppy play against one of the MAC’s worst teams.
That is not likely to be the case Wednesday when they welcome Toledo to Athens, and even another strong 3-point shooting night may not be enough to pull out a win.
Ohio needs to continue to move the ball and find open shooters, and while Monday’s performance was by no means perfect, it was a step in the right direction.
