Ohio dropped its fourth consecutive game against Miami with its 67-61 loss Wednesday at The Convo.
The Bobcats held a lead for nearly 29 minutes of the game, but scored only three points in the fourth quarter and suffered another late-game collapse — only this time, it resulted in their second loss of the season.
How it happened:
Ohio left the first half with a 39-29 lead but played down to Miami’s pace in the second half. The RedHawks tied the game at 60 with five minutes left, and a 3-pointer from Leah Purvis with 12 seconds that gave Miami a 65-61 lead, which essentially ended Ohio’s hopes of winning the game.
Who stood out?
Erica Johnson continued her offensive dominance again. The redshirt freshman scored 16 points against the best defense in the conference and found success at all spots on the court.
Johnson shot 7-for-13 from the field and added another two 3s to lead Ohio’s offense. She also picked up two steals after swiping the ball five times last Saturday against Bowling Green and continued to show flashes of becoming an adept risk-taker when it comes to sniffing out the pass.
Why does it matter?
Ohio’s offense met its match against Miami’s No. 1 ranked defense in the conference. The RedHawks have given the rest of the conference a blueprint toward stopping Ohio’s versatile offense, and Ohio failed to extract revenge against the same team that ended its season in the MAC Tournament last year.
The Bobcats dropped to second place in the MAC East Division, but have a game in hand after Buffalo — current holders of first place — postponed its game Wednesday.
Ohio will play Ball State at The Convo on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
