After tasting defeat for the first time against Central Michigan earlier in the week, Ohio bounced back against Ball State on Saturday at Worthen Arena. Behind a career-high 24-point performance from point guard Erica Johnson, the Bobcats handled Ball State 90-75.
Here are some takeaways from Ohio’s (13-1, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) sixth-consecutive win over Ball State:
Erica Johnson’s career day
After an underwhelming performance in Wednesday night’s loss to Central Michigan, Johnson finished with 24 points and paired it with nine assists and five rebounds. Johnson’s stat line was impressive, but the highlight of her showing was her efficiency. She shot 8 of 10 from the floor and made 3 of 4 3-pointers.
Johnson continues to impress as a redshirt freshman. She’s one of the Bobcats’ best offensive weapons, and her versatility will be needed as Ohio goes deeper into its MAC schedule.
Improvement on the glass
Before the season started, coach Bob Boldon knew that one of the Bobcats’ weaknesses would be rebounds, and it showed Wednesday when they lost the battle on the glass, 51-22. Ohio did much better against the Cardinals but still have ways to go. Ohio’s eight offensive rebounds (29 defensive, 37 total) Saturday helped produce 10 second-chance points.
Back in the win column
Senior forward Dominique Doseck said after the Bobcats’ loss Wednesday that they couldn’t just forget the defeat but still needed to regroup for a quick turnaround. The Bobcats successfully bounced back and now have a winning record in conference play. That’s impressive considering the Bobcats were scheduled the two toughest teams in the conference to start MAC play (Buffalo and Central Michigan). Ohio’s defeated Purdue, exited a four-game road trip unscathed and successfully bounced back from its first defeat. Clearly, the Bobcats can handle a tough situation. While Wednesday’s loss was discouraging, Ohio is still a solid contender to win the MAC.
