For the second straight game, Ohio broke the game open in the second quarter.
At 16-0 Bobcat set the tone for the rest of the comfortable 72-55 win over the University of Tennessee-Martin on Friday morning in The Convo.
The Bobcats struggled early against the Tennessee-Martin full-court press and zone defense. After a quarter, the Bobcats were 6-for-18 from the field.
Shooting 4-for-12 from 3-point range kept Ohio in the game, but the inability to drive to the basket stagnated the offense for much of the first half. That all changed around the four minute mark of the second quarter.
The run started with a 3-point play converted by Hannah Boesinger. From there, the Ohio defense engulfed UT Martin’s half court offense. The Skyhawks shot 0-for-6 in the final four minutes, and turned the ball over twice, part of a 16-0 Ohio run.
One of the stars of that second quarter run, and the game, was Amani Burke. In her second collegiate game, Burke scored 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the field.
Burke nailed two open jump shots during the game-changing second quarter run, and showed her ability to do more than play disciplined defense and scrap for loose balls. She also had two of the most acrobatic finishes of the game.
Twice, Burke drove from the left wing, braced for contact and softly laid the ball off the glass. She converted both and one free throw.
Through two games, Ohio is outscoring its opponents by 38 points in the second quarter. While that number is impressive, the first quarter slow starts could hurt them going forward.
It seems odd to call outscoring opponents by eight points through two games starting slow, but considering the final scores, the first quarters have been subpar by comparison.
The other underwhelming part of Ohio’s performance Friday was the fourth quarter. The end of the bench played a large portion, but Ohio still only managed ten points in the frame.
Coach Bob Boldon said, Thursday at practice, he wants that unit to play better with big leads, but it’s a luxury that they get to play with one in the first place.
