The Ohio women's basketball team hadn't had a losing Mid-American Conference record this season. Until now.
With a 70-65 loss at Toledo Saturday, the Bobcats fell to 5-6 in the MAC, the first time this season the team has had a higher number in the loss column than the win column.
We have just taken a game at a time this season
coach Lynn Bria said. When we were in first we continued to take one game at a time. There are a lot of games left and anything can happen.
Ohio (9-13 overall), which is on a three-game losing streak, became the fourth team in the East Division to drop below .500 in MAC play. Marshall and Kent State are the only East teams remaining that boast a winning conference record. With the last two losses, Ohio is now tied for third with Miami in the division.
Everybody is beating up on everybody Bria said. You don't know who is going to beat who on any given night.
The Bobcats will get the chance to redeem themselves and get back to .500 against Akron Tuesday in the first of two consecutive home games. A win against the Zips would put Ohio back in sole position of third in the division.
Akron (3-20, 3-9) is no stranger to a losing conference record, as the team has yet to break .500, putting it in fifth in the East Division. The Zips, currently on a four-game losing streak, lost Saturday to Bowling Green, 61-52.
Forward Jessie Crooks and guard Jae Conn lead Akron in scoring with 9.3 and 8.2 points per game, respectively, and forward Angie Hutchinson leads in rebounding with 4.8 per game.
In recent games, the Bobcats have been led offensively by guards Simone Redd and Quintana Ward. One of the two freshmen led Ohio scoring against Marshall and Toledo with 16 points by Ward and 11 points put in by Redd, respectively. Redd also had a career-high 17 points in the Ohio victory against Western Michigan, Ohio's last win. Redd and Ward average 10.4 and 8.3 points per game, respectively.
Ohio and Akron compete for the 33rd time in the schools' history, with the Bobcats having won the last seven games against the Zips.
Catch the Bobcats in action in the first of two straight home games at 7 tonight in The Convo.
-Abbey Smith
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Andrea Johnson chases a ball last season against Eastern Michigan.
