CLEVELAND-Semeka Randall has never been a fan of the no-look pass.
But she was forced to bite her tongue in Ohio's 68-57 win over Western Michigan in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament yesterday at Quicken Loans Arena.
At the 3:46 mark, the Bobcats were only up two with Western Michigan surging. The Broncos were on a 10-2 run and outscored Ohio 27-10 in the last 10 minutes.
Jenny Poff changed that.
Poff threw a no-look pass to sophomore Thia Gholson in the post. Gholson finished the play while being fouled. She made the proceeding free throw.
(Poff) made it this time
Randall said. It was a good pass.
This wasn't something new to Jennifer Bushby. She could see it coming from her position on the floor.
I was like 'Oooo - Poff's going to throw that no-look ' Bushby said.
Not only did the play energize the Bobcats, it wounded the Broncos.
Ebony Cleary fouled Gholson on the play and fouled out. That was a huge blow to Western Michigan.
Cleary scored 21 points, with 15 of those in the second half.
Cleary took Kamille Buckner out of the game in the second half. Buckner fouled out with 4:59 left in the game.
(Cleary) really took it to us inside
Lauren Hmiel said. She was so active on the boards
she was getting points for them.
She was their go-to player.
However
Gholson pump faked
and Cleary was done for the night.
Bronco coach Tasha McDowell admitted that Cleary fouling out was a blow to her team.
(Cleary) had the aggressiveness, the excitement, the energy and the passion at that moment, McDowell said. I felt like that was carrying our team in a large part.
Hmiel put the dagger into the Broncos' hearts with a 3-pointer at the 1:29 mark. That gave the Bobcats a seven-point lead at 64-57.
The senior found a rhythm in the second half. After scoring six points in the first half
Hmiel scorched Western Michigan for 10 points in the first six minutes of the second. She finished with 21 points
tying a career high. She also finished with 12 rebounds for a double-double.
Bushby added 19 points and six assists.
Randall had nothing bad to say about her two leaders after the game.
All year long, I asked them to step up and give us leadership, and that's what they did today, she said. They came out and played extremely hard.
The Bobcats will play Toledo
the No. 2 seed in the MAC West Division
in the second round of the MAC Tournament tomorrow at 9 a.m. in Quicken Loans Arena.
,",2,Sports,Matt Wagner,27520a.jpg,Ohio guard Jenny Poff drives to the basket in the first half of Ohio
