Ohio (15-1, 3-1 Mid-American Conference) defeated Eastern Michigan (9-7, 2-3 MAC) 85-44 on Saturday afternoon at The Convo.
What happened?
Ohio’s offense jumpstarted in the second quarter and dominated Eastern Michigan’s defense with a 20-0 scoring run. The Bobcats entered the third quarter with a 43-18 lead and continued its dominance throughout the second half to cruise to one of their easiest wins of the season.
Ohio converted on 50 percent of shots from the floor and grabbed 41 rebounds, and Eastern Michigan’s 44 points is the lowest total the Bobcats have allowed since 2016.
Who stood out?
Dominique Doseck was the biggest headache for Eastern Michigan’s defense. The senior shot 7-of-12 from the field and drained 6-of-10 shots from 3-point range, her highest mark of the season.
Nearly everyone Ohio placed on the floor found shooting space against Eastern Michigan’s flustered defense, but Doseck’s consistent 3-point play awed The Convo’s crowd, provided the Bobcats with their biggest offensive boost and cemented her as Ohio’s top 3-point shooter.
When was it decided?
The Bobcats essentially ended the game with their slew of 3-pointers to end the first half. Ohio beautifully drained 8-of-10 shots from 3-point range in the second quarter to head into the locker room with a 43-18 lead.
Ohio took advantage of Eastern Michigan’s lack of adjustments in its defensive game plan. Johnson and Doseck converted on 6-of-7 combined 3-point attempts and showed no hesitancy in shooting the ball when the Eagles failed to pressure them past the 3-point line.
The offensive outburst ensured that coach Bob Boldon could rest players at a key point in the conference schedule and keep his starters healthy.
Why does it matter?
Ohio has already pulled within one win of matching last season’s total and continued its season-long roll of dominating teams with its offense. Boldon couldn’t have asked for a smoother offensive performance on Saturday, and the Bobcats have to like their odds of staying consistent as they head into an easier slate of conference games to finish January.
Ohio will head to DeKalb, Illinois, next Wednesday to play Northern Illinois.
