Ohio was looking for redemption after last year’s loss to George Mason and found it in the form of a 75-59 win at the Convo Thursday night.
With the win, the Bobcats boosted their record to 7-7, marking the farthest into the season the team has been at least .500 since coach Semeka Randall joined the team.
Ohio finished the game with five players in double figures and shot 53 percent from the floor. George Mason senior Taleia Moton and junior Amber Easter helped lead the charge for the Patriots.
As of Dec. 18, Moton was the ninth most prolific scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball. She finished the game with 25 points, and Easter finished with 10.
George Mason opened the game with an 8-0 run, but Ohio responded with an 11-0 run of its own.The Bobcats were able to get Moton in foul trouble, and they used her limited playing time to take a 17-point halftime lead. Ohio forced George Mason to commit 10 fouls in the first half along with 10 turnovers.
Randall said she was proud of her team’s poise in climbing out of its early hole.
“We had great composure. We didn’t get rattled,” Randall said. “We knew it was going to be tough because it’s hard coming off break and playing George Mason, and we were able to withstand that 8-0 run and make a run of our own.”
After the Patriots’ 8-0 run, Ohio outscored George Mason 40-15 during the remainder of the first half.
The Patriots’ normally sharp perimeter game did not stand up against the Bobcats. They shot 23 percent from 3-point territory in the game.
Ohio senior Tenishia Benson said the team’s defense stepped up to the challenge and handled a good 3-point-shooting team.
“We play personnel, and when we get into (Mid-American Conference) play, that is key and that’s how good teams win,” she said.
Benson said maturity, along with five players in double figures, helped the Bobcats win. “From Alesia Howard all the way down, people are really stepping up and we saw that tonight,” she said.
The Bobcats begin MAC play Jan. 4 when they host Buffalo.
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