BOWLING GREEN — Ohio (17-1, 6-1 Mid-American Conference) defeated Bowling Green (7-11, 0-7 MAC) 82-79 on Saturday at the Stroh Center.
A 27-point second quarter gave the Bobcats a 48-32 lead at halftime. Ohio’s offense sputtered in the second half and converted on only 30 percent of its shots. It allowed the Falcons to nearly complete a sizeable comeback, but the Bobcats never gave up their lead and did just enough on both sides of the court to escape with a win.
The Bobcats won their fifth consecutive game and handed the Falcons their seventh consecutive loss.
Here are three stats that mattered for Ohio:
11
Number of steals for Ohio. The Bobcats applied tight pressure to the Falcons, who committed 20 turnovers and struggled with ball control in the final minutes of the game.
Cece Hooks and Erica Johnson combined for eight steals, and both swiped the ball at crucial moments in the fourth quarter to minimize Bowling Green’s comeback efforts. Ohio won’t be proud of its defensive efforts in the second half, but its ability to steal the ball led the Bobcats to victory.
44
Combined points between Hooks and Johnson. The duo carried Ohio’s offense throughout its second half collapse and were the two biggest reasons why the Bobcats never lost their lead.
Hooks and Johnson scored 20 points in the second half and pulled through in clutch moments. Hooks converted on two separate layups and Johnson knocked down two free throws and a layup with under five minutes to prevent the Falcons’ surging offense from matching Ohio’s pace.
47
Points scored by Bowling Green in the second half. The Falcons flipped the offensive momentum, splashed seven 3-pointers and out-rebounded Ohio 29-17 in the second half to give the Bobcats arguably their biggest scare of the season, but the Bobcats did just enough in the final minutes of play to pull out the victory.
