Ohio’s offense has hit a slump.
In a year that’s been full of season highs and program bests, the Bobcats hit a new low when they fell 73-43 to Buffalo on Wednesday at The Convo. Ohio shot 20 percent from the field, made only 12 field goals and committed 18 turnovers in its lowest scoring output of the season.
All five of Ohio’s starters were yanked with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, and they sat with their head in their hands as Buffalo continued to pummel the Bobcats for arguably their worst loss of the season. It was a stark contrast from Jan. 5 when Ohio defeated Buffalo in overtime to begin Mid-American Conference play.
That wasn’t a perfect game, either. The Bobcats only shot 35 percent from the field, but it was easy to dismiss a rough offensive night after Ohio still found a way to win. It might be harder to do the same after Wednesday.
The Bobcats’ offense has regressed to end February. It shot below 25 percent for the second time in the past four games and has committed 51 turnovers in its last three games. Ohio isn’t concerned, however, about the state of its offense as it heads into the final three games of the regular season.
“I’m not overly concerned about the way we played against Buffalo,” coach Bob Boldon said. “We won’t see anything like it unless we see them in the tournament again.”
The level of concern could change in Ohio’s next two games. If the Bobcats lose to Akron and Miami, who own top 5 defenses in the MAC, it would almost certainly mean their offense is no longer doing enough to keep them at the top of the conference. That’s not what Ohio wants with the MAC Tournament two weeks away.
But Boldon is confident his offense can turn things around. Buffalo stymied Ohio with a 2-3 zone defense that shut down driving lanes for Cece Hooks, who finished with no field goals, and forced Ohio to hesitate a second or two longer before it decided to shoot.
It was a strategy the Bobcats haven’t played against this year, and it only worked because the Bulls are the only team in the conference capable of deploying it.
“I don’t think other teams can do what Buffalo has,” Boldon said. “They’re one of the best defensive teams in the league because they got long athletes, and there’s a uniqueness to what they do.”
Sure, Ohio will face different defenses in its next two games, but it still won’t be easy for the Bobcats to return to the normal offensive standards they reached before the slump.
Akron owns the No. 5 defense in the MAC and shut down Buffalo last Saturday for its lowest scoring game of the season, while Miami owns the No. 2 defense in the conference and held Ohio to 61 points — including a three-point fourth quarter — in their last meeting.
Those two games will show the severity of the offensive slump in a truer light, and it could decide whether Ohio will snag a first-round bye in the MAC Tournament.
It’s two games that could flip the landscape for the Bobcats in the postseason. But only if Ohio fails to improve its offense.
Game information vs. Akron
Game time: 5 p.m.
Venue: James A. Rhodes Arena
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: ohiobobcats.com
Projected starters
Ohio
Cece Hooks (5-foot-8)
Dominique Doseck (5-foot-8)
Amani Burke (5-foot-9)
Gabby Burris (5-foot-11)
Erica Johnson (5-foot-11)
Akron
Megan Sefcik (5-foot-10)
Haliegh Reinoehl (6-foot-2)
Caitlin Vari (6-foot-1)
Shayna Harmon (5-foot-9)
Shaunay Edmonds (5-foot-4)
