Jennifer Bushby and her teammates were excited as they came out against Bowling Green.
If you ask coach Semeka Randall, the Bobcats came out too excited against their rival in a 62-52 loss on Saturday.
We were so sky high
Randall said. You want that intensity and that energy and that effort but you want it to be in a controlled manner.
The Bobcats' inability to control their emotions led to 30 turnovers.
Starters Lauren Hmiel, Jenny Poff and Bushby, combined for 20 themselves.
One reason for the turnovers was the Falcons' pressure defense.
However, Bushby admitted that wasn't the only reason.
I think that a lot of those turnovers were self-inflicted
Bushby, the Bobcats' leading scorer with 13 points, said. We just didn't take care of the basketball tonight. Not to take anything away from (Bowling Green's) defense
but we just need to be strong with the ball and not let that poking around get to us.
On many occasions, Ohio had made a stop on defense only to turn the ball right back over.
Randall said the Bobcats were trying to make too much happen.
We are trying to make the play to get the crowd into it
to get our team into it
Randall said. We tried to make the big play
and we turned the ball over constantly.
Despite the turnovers, the Bobcats were still in the game with two minutes remaining.
Down six, Ohio had possession of the ball, but they were unable to convert. A minute later without a basket by both sides, the fouling commenced.
Defense is what kept the Bobcats in the game. Ohio held Bowling Green to 32.7 percent shooting and only 18.2 percent from beyond the arc - about half of the Falcons' season average for 3-pointers.
The Bobcat also outrebounded the Falcons, 43-35.
Ohio's defense had one main problem - guarding Bowling Green's Lauren Prochaska. She scored 22 points. Guard Tracy Pontius, 13 points, was the only other Falcon in double digits.
Randall said the Bobcats did a decent job in containing Prochaska but fouled her too many times.
You can't foul her
she said. You got to make her make plays overtop of you
and if she makes a play
you got to say
