Ohio lost the opening tip and immediately gave up a layup. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Taylor Agler was heavily defended and turned the ball over, resulting in another IUPUI layup.
Missed shots by Katie Barker and Amani Burke, along with another turnover led to a 10-0 deficit before the Bobcats could catch their breath. The Jaguars built a 17-point lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Bobcats shrunk the lead to as little as five twice, but were never able to overcome the slow start, falling to IUPUI 76-52 on Saturday in The Convo.
“That was poor,” coach Bob Boldon said. “IUPUI really came out and gave it to us. They ran their stuff, they ran it well. There wasn’t really much we could do about it.”
The full-court pressure from IUPUI (6-1) sped up Ohio (4-2), and it was unable to slow the game down to a reasonable pace. As the game wore on, the Ohio guards showed signs of controlling the pace of the game, but could not sustain it for extended periods of time.
It wasn’t just the style of play from the Jaguars, however. The Bobcats were flat for extended stretches throughout the first half, unable to corral loose balls, rebound against post players and show life offensively.
“When you give up 26 points in the first quarter, you really dig yourself a hole that’s going to be hard to come out of,” forward Kendall Jessing said.
By the time they were able to put offensive possessions together and score, it was already too late. The Bobcats outscored the Jaguars 19-9 in the second quarter and cut the deficit to just seven at the half. During the opening minutes of the second half, Ohio made its run, again gnawing at the deficit, cutting it to five before IUPUI poured it on for the final 15 minutes.
Although they were able to claw their way back into the game, the Bobcats’ season-long trend, an inability to knock down shots, bit them once more. Ohio made only five of its 28 attempted 3-point shots, even though it had multiple open looks throughout the contest. As a team, Ohio is shooting 23.9 percent from beyond the 3-point arc and 36 percent from the floor.
It’s a trend that has haunted the Bobcats thus far through non-conference play, and it’s a trend they’re attempting to buck. Capable shooters litter the roster — Agler, Barker, Burke and Dominique Doseck, among others — and shots will eventually fall.
For now, however, the Bobcats are looking for answers after suffering their worst loss since 2013, Boldon's first season in Athens. They have five more non-conference games to play this season, and they’re looking to find those answers — and their shooting ability — before they open Mid-American Conference play Dec. 31 against Toledo.
Boldon isn’t sure right now if his team is in a slump or if its incapable of shooting well, but he’s ready to find out. He provided a simple, yet effective answer on whether the Bobcats will break out and find their rhythm.
“Stay tuned.”
