For the Bobcats, it's never too late to get back to basics.
Junior guard Tommy Freeman said the Bobcats are searching for confidence despite their current 3-game losing streak. One way to do so is to practice the basics.
Our biggest thing is not accepting (the 3-game losing streak) but finding solutions as to why we're losing these games
he said. We're just trying to find what was working in some of our nonconference games and try to get back to that.
Ohio's defense has sputtered during the skid. It allowed Miami to shoot 60 percent from the field in the second half of Saturday's loss, 53.3 percent for the game.
This trend has been growing since Mid-American Conference play and the losing streak began. The Bobcats allowed opponents to shoot 44.9 percent over the last three games, three percentage points higher than they did in nonconference play.
Coach John Groce said Ohio's post defense is an aspect of the game his team needs to fix.
We got to get back to where we're tougher to score against than what we were in that second half (against Miami) Groce said.
And when a team does miss a shot, Ohio must rebound better, Groce said.
Ohio lost the rebounding matchup in two of the last three games by an average of 10 boards per game, including a differential of -21 against Miami. The Bobcats are ranked last in the MAC in rebounding margin over the 3-game stretch.
These basics will be critical when the Bobcats visit the Bowling Green Falcons tonight.
Bowling Green returns home after a 76-70 win over Kent State. The Falcons shot 51 percent from the field and outrebounded the Golden Flashes by five.
The Falcons (8-7, 1-2 MAC) have a trio of physical post players: Otis Polk, Marc Larson and Erik Marschall. These three players average 23.1 points per game and 17.6 rebounds per game of Bowling Green's 61.4 points and 35.9 rebounds.
They're older guys inside Groce said. They're very physical
a little bit like Miami on the interior
and we didn't respond very well to (the physical play) in the second half on Saturday in Oxford.
So that probably concerns me more than anything.
Besides the basics
Bowling Green presents its own challenge - the 2-3 zone.
Bowling Green gave the Bobcats trouble last year playing the zone
including a poor performance in a 52-51 loss Jan. 24
where Ohio shot 26.5 percent from the field. It was Ohio's worst offensive performance of the season.
The new zone offenses we put in this year are better suited to attack (Bowling Green's) 2-3 zone, Freeman said. We have a lot shooters on the outside. Mostly, we just have to have continual movement to keep their zone off balance.
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30250,2010-01-20 00:23:00,Women's Basketball: Ohio aims for zippy start against Akron,The last time Akron won a women's basketball game in The Convo
The Simpsons was debuting on television and many current college students were being conceived.,The last time Akron won a women's basketball game in The Convo
The Simpsons was debuting on television and many current college students were being conceived.
Twenty-two years ago
the Zips managed a scrappy win in Athens just before the dawn of 1988. Since then
