For being the best team in the Mid-American Conference, Ohio enjoys playing down to the level of its opposition.
Saturday afternoon that meant dueling with the worst team in the conference, Miami.
The Bobcats got off to their customary fast start, followed by a sluggish closing to the first half, but regained its rhythm and buried the RedHawks 67-45.
“As a team I think we have a problem that we play to the level of our opponents,” sophomore guard Quiera Lampkins said. “Or we’ll get up 20 and then we’ll let them get back. We have to be able to get up and stay up.”
Despite a lower offensive output, the team still managed to hold its opponent under 50 points for the third consecutive contest. Earlier this week Ohio held Kent State to 44 and Bowling Green to 46.
“We were okay offensively,” coach Bob Boldon said. “We didn’t make shots and that may have looked sluggish … I thought our defense kept us in the game. We got some stops and we were able to score off of it.”
With the win, Ohio recorded is 20th of the season and maintains its two-game lead as the MAC leaders with six wins remaining. One of those remaining games includes Akron, the 2nd place team in the East Division, next Saturday.
“I don’t try to think about it,” Lampkins said. “We just can’t get a little unfocused and lose a game, which I doubt we will. Sometimes we just have to look forward and think we’ve still got six games remaining.”
Lampkins led Ohio with 15 points and six rebounds, while junior guard Kiyanna Black finished with 10 points and two rebounds.
With a two-game road trip concluded, the Bobcats will return to The Convo and host Eastern Michigan on Wednesday night. On Tuesday night, the Eagles will play Miami in Oxford. The game was rescheduled after the sudden death of junior Shannise Heady.
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