Pregame
Despite losing each of the first seven games to begin Mid-American Conference play, Ohio or Kent State will finish Sunday with their first conference victory.
The Bobcats (5-14, 0-7) have lost each of their last seven games by at least 19 points, but junior guard Shavon Robinson and sophomore guard Mariah Byard returned from injury Thursday against Toledo, giving Ohio momentum moving forward.
Although the Bobcats scored just 12 points in the first half, Ohio ended the game on a 13-2 run against the MAC-best Rockets.
The Golden Flashes (2-18, 0-7) have endured much of the same struggles since beginning their MAC portion of the schedule, as they are losing by an average margin of 28 points per game. Thursday Kent State was blown out by Central Michigan by double its score, 91-44.
No player averages more than 10 points a game for the Golden Flashes, but senior guard Tamzin Barroilhet helps fuel Kent State as she averages more than nine points and seven rebounds per game.
Since the beginning of MAC play, Kent State and Ohio rank in the bottom half of every statistical category, except for free throw percentage where the Golden Flashes rank fifth.
The Bobcats won the series last season, 2-1, defeating the Golden Flashes twice in The Convo.
First Half
Ohio will keep same starting rotation for the fifth consecutive game: senior guard Ashley Fowler, junior guard Erin Bailes, freshman guard Kiyanna Black, senior forward Symone Lyles and senior forward Tina Fisher.
Fisher scored the first points of the game with a lay-up on Ohio's first possesion, which was followed by a lay-up by Black two turns later.
Both teams struggled getting shots to fall to begin game, but the Bobcats have been able to win the rebound battle early on for second attempts.
Kent State did not get on the scoreboard until the 14:45 mark, when sophomore guard Jamie Hutcheson layed in a basket, after the Golden Flashes missed their first four attempts.
Offense then began to pick up, as Fisher scored another basket for Ohio, followed by two more Kent State scores in the paint.
Kiyanna Black then hit a jump shot to put the Bobcats in double-digits before the 13 minute mark — Ohio scored just 12 in the first half against Toledo Thursday.
Fisher then responded with another basket, before Black knocked down a three-pointer. Kent State called a timeout trying to halt a 7-0 Bobcat run, putting Ohio up 15-6 with 11:50 to play.
However, the Golden Flashes then responded with a 6-0 run of their own, as both teams combined for 16 turnovers in the first 11 minutes.
Kent State began the contest shooting 46 percent from the field through 14 minutes, but with 12 turnovers the Golden Flashes struggled building any momentum.
Bailes and Fisher have emerged as leaders for the Bobcats offensively, with Fowler acting as a presence in the paint and Bailes a threat from downtown after connecting on a deep three from the Ohio mid-court logo.
At the final media timeout in the first half, the Bobcats held onto a 24-18 lead, as four Ohio players had at least four points. Fisher led all players with seven.
Fowler connected on a three, before blocking a Kent State shot on the ensueing possession.
Shavon Robinson scored the final basket of the half on a putback from a Fowler free throw miss as time expired.
Halftime: Ohio 27, Kent State 20
The Bobcats did not trail at any point in the first half, as the Golden Flashes committed 15 turnovers, which were converted into 10 Ohio points. Both teams shot greater than 38 percent from the field, while the Bobcats also shot 38 percent (3-for-8) from downtown,
Tina Fisher and Kiyanna Black lead all scorers with seven points while Rachel Mendelsohn also has scored seven for the Golden Flashes.
Ohio did not trail in the first half and lead at halftime for the first time since beginning MAC play.
Second Half
Hutcheson kick-started the Kent State scoring with a lay-up in the first 30 seconds, before Black answered with a jumper for the Bobcats.
Neither team able to get much rythm offensively to start, combining to make jut three of the first 10 shots taken in the half. But Robinson was able to knock down a jumper before the first media timeout (16:50). Ohio was ahead 34-24.
Robinson then scored another jumper, allowing the Bobcats to jump out to an 11-point lead — the largest of the day for Ohio.
Lexie Baldwin then scored a lay-up and converted a three-point play in consecutive possessions for the Bobcats, which began to start running away with the game. Kent State made just three of its first 12 shots in the half.
However, the Golden Flashes quickly went on a 10-0 run, to put the game back within just six points, as Kent State made four consecutive shots. Bailes then put an end to Ohio's scoreless run with a jumper.
Midway through the second half, the Golden Flashes showed no signs of letting up after Ohio jumped out to a 16-point lead. Although the Bobcats were shooting 55 percent with 10 minutes remaining in the contest.
Kent State's Amber Dunlap helped fuel a comback, as she had 10 points in the game with eight minutes to play, following a lay-up and free throw. The Bobcats led by just three points at that mark.
After starting the half shooting 54 percent from the field, the Bobcats quickly fell to just 34 percent, but Robinson was able to dish Baldwin for a basket to keep Ohio ahead by three points.
Tamzin Barroilhet beginning to also take over for Kent State as she converted on lay-ups on consecutive possessions. At a timeout with 6:47 remaining, Ohio led just 46-45.
However, Robinson continuing to regain her spot as a force in the Ohio lineup in her second game back in uniform after missing eight for an injury.
Both teams traded points, but Ohio did not lose the lead until 4:20 remained, when Melanee Stubbs scored a fastbreak lay-up to give the Flashes a 49-48 lead — their first of the game.
Barroilhet then made a jumpshot for Kent State, before Black drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 51 with 3:13 remaining.
Ohio's Symone Lyles exited the game with an apparent injury after a collision with a Kent State played with two minutes to play, but then re-entered the game on the next possession.
A pair of Black free throws and a lay-up from Fowler put the Bobcats up 55-51 with 1:14 to play, before Tina Fisher took a key charge on Kent State's next possession.
Mendelsohn then knocked down a three-pointer for the Golden Flashes, cutting Ohio's lead to just one-point with 25.2 second remaining. Ohio then turned over the inbound, as Kent State regained possession and scored a lay-up to take the lead.
Kiyanna Black received the inbound, dribbled the clock down and missed a go-ahead shot with five seconds remaining. She then committed a foul to send Kent State's Barroilhet to the line, where she made one.
With two seconds on the clock, Bailes received the inbound and missed a half-court shot as time expired.
FINAL: Kent State 57, Ohio 55
Ohio remains winless in MAC play, as Kent State earned its third victory of the season. Bobcats led by 16 points early in second half and by four points with 43 seconds remaining.
Statistics
Black: 14 points, two rebounds, three assists.
Baldwin: 10 points, three rebounds.
Fowler: Nine points, four rebounds, four assists.
Robinson: Eight points, five rebounds, three assists.
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Barroilhet: 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists.
Mendelsohn: 14 points, nine rebounds, 12 turnovers.
Dunlap: 12 points, one rebound.
Reactions
"Tough, tough, tough loss today even though I thought we had the energy effort. Kent State is a scrappy team and fought back after getting down by 16 points, while we started to panic and take bad, quick shots." Ohio coach Semeka Randall, on how the collapse went about.
"We are all pretty heart-broken to play that hard for 30-35 minutes and let the last five slip away from us, but we are on our way and aren't going to let this loss hold us back." — Fowler, on collapsing at the end of the game.
"Players in the moment get excited down the stretch and there was some miscommunication and we didn't use the clock to our advantage. I take the full responsibility and blame for the loss, it's not those kids' fault." — Randall, on clock management in the final minute.
"We were making shots early in the game even though we've been struggling with that all season. We were trusting each other at making shots instead of being selfish at times and we were playing great defense, which is something we've always been able to hang our hat on." — Fowler, on being able to jump out to a 16-point lead in the second half.
Up-next
Ohio will host Northern Illinois Thursday in The Convo, as the Huskies are also also winless in MAC play following a loss to Miami Sunday.
