Good things came in threes for Ohio Saturday, as the Bobcats won their third straight game, led by six three pointers from junior guard Erin Bailes in her homecoming against Marshall.
The Bobcats topped the Thundering Herd 55-48, as Ohio (4-5) has not lost since head coach Semeka Randall inserted Bailes and freshman guard Kiyanna Black in the starting lineup.
Bailes, a Huntington native, finished with a career-high six makes from behind the arc, en route to a game-high 18 points, while Black added 16 points — her fifth consecutive game with a double-digit scoring total.
Marshall (5-5) began the game on a 10-2 run, led by 10 early points from sophomore forward Chukwuka Ezeigbo. But the Bobcats were able to make adjustments following the first media timeout and held her scoreless the remainder of the game.
“If you don’t touch somebody it’s pretty easy to score,” said Ohio assistant coach Jeff Marshall. “(Ezeigbo) went down four or five straight possessions and nobody touched her. Tina Fisher struggled on the offensive end in the game, but we were able to limit (Ezeigbo’s) touches and controlled her.”
However, the Herd continued to control the game and did not trail for the majority of the first half, leading the Bobcats by 12 at one point . Ohio’s only leads came 1:25 into the game and again with just 26 seconds until halftime.
After finishing the first half tied at 24, Ohio began to separate itself from Marshall. Bailes scored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Bobcats in just the second half, while the Herd were unable to regain control of the game by turning the ball over eight times.
“I’m really happy for Erin, what a game she played,” Marshall said. “She did have six three-pointers, but she also played great defense in getting in front of people and contesting shots. You can’t ask anything more than that.”
Saturday was the first game that Marshall finished with a higher rebounding total than its opponent and lost, as the Herd grabbed 37 boards, compared to 36 from the Bobcats. Although Ohio did snatch nine offensive boards, which was three more than Marshall.
Defense was one of Ohio’s keys to success, as it stole the ball 12 times and forces 17 turnovers, which led to 20 Bobcat points. Ohio also held Marshall to just three makes from behind the arc in the game.
The Bobcats, which had not played since last Sunday because of final exams, will be back in action against Manhattan Wednesday, for the second of four straight games on the road.
Ohio will play two games in New York, before returning home for the holidays.
“Now we gotta go on the road to New York, which will be a fun trip for the kids, especially with this win,” Marshall said. “Hopefully now we have the confidence that we can win on the road and enjoy this win before celebrating Christmas with our families.”
QUICK STATS:
Ohio 55, Marshall 48
— Ohio wins third straight game and first on the road this season.
— Erin Bailes led the Bobcats with 18 points, off six three-pointers,
— Kiyanna Black’s 16 points marked her fifth straight game in double-digits.
