Bowling Green was named the Mid-American Conference favorite in the preseason, and the team proved why Saturday at the Convo.
The Falcons shut down the Bobcats on their way to a 77-42 win. Ohio started off sluggishly, as the Falcons went on a 22-3 run early.
It turns out that our basketball team came out and didn't execute anything that we had planned to do
coach Semeka Randall said. When you're playing a good team like that you can't afford to do things like that.
Bowling Green overmatched Ohio early, as Tracy Pontius and Lauren Prochaska found open shots against the Bobcats and combined for 27 points and seven 3-pointers in the first half.
Their hot shooting knocked the Bobcats back on their heels as the Falcons jumped out to a 25-6 lead.
I thought we made the extra pass Bowling Green coach Curt Miller said. I thought kids were unselfish and we got a better look than maybe forcing the first look that was open.
Randall said she thought her team played with fear after the early Falcons run, and the Bobcats seemed to lose their composure, turning the ball over and missing open shots.
While Bowling Green's two stars thrived, Ohio's top duo struggled against the stifling Falcon defense. The team has relied on Jenny Poff and Jennifer Bushby for scoring all season, but Bowling Green held the two to a combined three points. Poff was visibly frustrated late in the first half after she was called for a charging foul.
If we don't get some decent numbers from those two ladies
we'll struggle a little bit
Randall said. And we're still searching for more people to step up and do things.
With the Bobcats' outside shooters being held in check, Ohio was able to get opportunities in the post. Center Thia Gholson finished the game with a career-high 15 points and shot 5-of-6 from the field.
We kind of thought that our outside game really isn't going and we need to go inside
Poff said. We talked about getting inside and maybe that will open the outside.
The Bobcats have two MAC road games this week, and Randall said the team needs to build its trust in each other before the games.
Nobody's gonna stop and wait for us
Randall said. We got to fix this in the flow of things right now.
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Sports
Will Frasure
