Ohio picked up a huge conference win Saturday afternoon when it went on the road and defeated Central Michigan 78-75 in McGuirk Arena. Central Michigan handed the Bobcats their first loss at the Convo on Jan.9. Now a month later, Ohio (20-2, 9-2 Mid-American Conference) exacted revenge and sits in the driver’s seat to a Mid-American Conference championship.
Here’s three takeaways from Ohio’s win over Central Michigan.
Cece Hooks is the star
In the last few Ohio games, different Bobcats stole the show each time. One constant in those games was that sophomore Cece Hooks still played well. On Saturday, Hooks wasn’t overlooked as she led the Bobcats with 28 points. In her last meeting against the Chippewas (16-6, 7-3 MAC), Hooks struggled to get to the rim, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday. She helped the Bobcats accumulate a 19-point lead and helped Ohio hold on to the lead when Central Michigan came back in the fourth quarter.
Road warriors
Ohio is still perfect on the road (8-0). The Bobcats have found ways to notch wins over stiff competition despite having to travel, and that was again the case Saturday. The last time Central Michigan had two conference losses at McGuirk Arena was in 2015. Ohio is back on the road again on Wednesday to face Toledo — the other team to defeat Central Michigan at home this season — and the Bobcats will look to add another impressive road win.
One step closer
Amani Burke said on Monday that a win Saturday would be the biggest of the year, and she was right. Ohio’s fate is in its own hands as it gets closer to its first MAC title since 2015-2016. The Bobcats still have to face the likes of Toledo, Buffalo and Miami, but if Ohio wins out, it’ll be conference champions.
