Ohio beat Detroit to start the season 3-0 for the first time since 2006
When Ohio was struggling midway through its Thursday matchup with Detroit, Queira Lampkins knew she had to do something to revitalize the Bobcats.
Three minutes into the second half, Lampkins, a sophomore guard, pulled up from beyond the arc and drilled a three pointer from the top of the key to extend Ohio’s 13-0 run.
After the shot, The Convo crowd erupted and Ohio held on to defeat Detroit 60-57 for its third straight win to start the year — the Bobcats’ best start since 2006.
“I believe we were a faster team than they were,” Lampkins said. “They couldn’t keep up with us. So, we kept running and running and it made it easier to score and transition because they’re not back or they’re not set.”
With three minutes to play, however, the Bobcats’ 12-point lead almost collapsed. The Titans cut their deficit to three with 15 seconds to play, but Lampkins rebounded a last-second Detroit shot to give Ohio the win.
Lampkins tallied 19 points and 10 rebounds, sophomore guard Kiyanna Black had 14 points and seven rebounds and Ohio held Detroit to 33 percent shooting from the field.
“I was happy we hung in there; I thought it was good we got tested a little bit. Obviously the first two games are more fun to watch,” Boldon said. “But that’s not realistic, that’s not what we’re gonna see in January.”
Fouls and poor shooting hindered Ohio’s performance throughout the game. Junior forward Lexie Baldwin had eight points and seven rebounds, but fouled out early in the second half.
The Bobcats (3-0) shot 19 of 57 from the field, but their 33 percent shooting was 12 percent lower than against Wofford.
Boldon said he was glad the Bobcats faced some late-game adversity and the defense was the main component in Ohio’s win.
The Bobcats were aggressive again on defense. Their man coverage lead to four team blocks, nine steals and 16 forced turnovers.
In the first half, Ohio and Detroit (1-2) combined to turn the ball over 12 times, as the Bobcats made just 2 of 15 attempts from behind the arc.
Boldon said he wanted Ohio to prioritize in moving the ball more in the second half and in turn the adjustment helped Lampkins go 3 of 5 from three-point range.
“Every kid tries to make shots, you don’t try to miss shots, but I don’t think we were doing a good job of sharing the basketball (in the first half),” Boldon said. “The first two games, you saw use really pass it to each other and the ball move, but tonight the ball didn’t move early.”
With the win, Ohio moved into somewhat uncharted territory.
“I think we have to play like we lost, because if we play like we’re 3-0, we’re going to get a big head,” Lampkins said. “So we have to continue to play and follow our principles and continue to do things that we’ve done to be 3-0.”
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