CLEVELAND — When Ohio played Buffalo on Feb. 27, coach Bob Boldon said the Bulls played a zone defense unlike any other in the Mid-American Conference.
The Bobcats needed to find a way to penetrate that defense to win the MAC Championship on Saturday afternoon, but they didn’t in their 77-61 loss to the Bulls inside Quicken Loans Arena. The Bulls won their second MAC Championship in four years, and the Bobcats left Cleveland empty-handed after tying the program record for wins in a season.
Buffalo was the one team in the MAC that knew how to shut down Ohio’s top weapons. Its defense could contain Cece Hooks’ layups with heavy pressure inside, and it meant the Bobcats would have to rely heavily on 3s to keep pace with the Bulls.
But not even that was enough for Ohio. The Bobcats shot a pedestrian 32 percent from beyond the arc, but the Bulls countered by making 12 first-half 3-pointers of their own — their most in a game this year — and it gave the Bobcats a 21-point deficit headed to the third quarter.
Ohio didn’t leave without a fight, though. Ohio cut the deficit to eight points with four minutes left after three quick 3-pointers, including a rare 3 from Hooks. But the Bulls found timely points to maintained their lead with three crucial offensive rebounds in the final five seconds.
Ohio will now await its fate for the NCAA Tournament. It’s likely the Bobcats still receive a bid — experts have predicted the MAC will receive two spots for most of the year — but there’s no guarantee Ohio clinches a bid as runner-up in the MAC Tournament.
The Bobcats will find out Monday night. The selection show will be shown Monday on ESPN at 7 p.m.
Stat pack
- Hooks led Ohio with 24 points and scored nine points in the second half.
- Cierra Dillard led Buffalo with 17 points.
- The Bobcats were outrebounded 46-29.
