Although injuries are never well timed, Ohio’s recent setbacks could not have come at a worse time, as the Bobcats fell 73-36 with a limited roster to Buffalo on Sunday in Mid-American Conference action.
The loss was the Bobcats’ (5-9, 0-2 MAC) fourth in the past five games, having started conference play with a pair of defeats. The loss also marks the fourth consecutive season Ohio has failed to record a victory at Buffalo.
Junior guards Erin Bailes and Shavon Robinson and sophomore guard Kat Yelle were all inactive Sunday, forcing five Bobcats to record at least 33 minutes of playing time.
“Our minutes are way too high right now, but it’s what we’ve got right now,” said Ohio coach Semeka Randall. “It’s unfortunate for this team, because I believed this team could’ve done some great things, so it sucks that we are very limited at this point.”
With the limited bench, fatigue became a factor for Ohio early in the game. Both teams began with a high-tempo offense, combining for 24 shot attempts in less than seven minutes.
However, the Bulls (4-11, 2-0) were able to knock down shots early and often, while Ohio shot just 21 percent from the field in the first half on its way to its poorest offensive performance of the season.
In the second half, the Bobcats seemed rejuvenated, as they outscored the Bulls 9-8 in the first three minutes, but fatigue set in again and Buffalo coasted to its second conference victory.
As if injuries were not already hindering the Bobcats, sophomore guard Mariah Byard did not play in the second half after suffering an injury. She failed to score in 10 minutes of play and is day-to-day, according to Randall.
Freshman guard Kiyanna Black led Ohio offensively with 12 points, while senior forward Tina Fisher added 10 points. Freshman forward Lexie Baldwin also helped pace the Bobcats with eight points, starting in place of Robinson.
On a day filled with many season-lows, senior guard Symone Lyles grabbed nine rebounds, which tied her season high.
“It is hard right now, but we need to stay positive,” Randall said. “It might not be about wins and losses at this point, because of the things we are enduring through adversity. We just need to go out and play with pride.”
cl027410@ohiou.edu
