Ohio was stunned earlier this week, but recovered in time Saturday to welcome Ball State to The Convo. The first half was tight, but Ohio’s plethora of scorers were too much for the Cardinals to keep pace.
Here are three takeaways from the Bobcats 79-71 win over Ball State.
Hot Start
Strong starts have been common for the Bobcats throughout Mid-American Conference play and that was the case Saturday. Ohio started the game shooting 50 percent from the field. Redshirt sophomore Erica Johnson was in a scoring groove and Cece Hooks was right behind her. Defensively, the Bobcats didn’t catch on until late in the first half when the Bobcats went on a small but meaningful 6-0 scoring run to secure a 39-32 halftime lead.
Let’s all play
Ohio showed off its depth against the Cardinals, and it was wise that they did. The Bobcats have faced illnesses and injuries all season and coach Bob Boldon knows that he can’t rely too heavily on his starting five. Reserves such as Deesh Beck, Maddie Bazelak, Caitlyn Kroll and freshman Peyton Guice all logged a decent number of minutes. Don’t be surprised if Boldon continues this trend into next week so he can give his starters some rest before a brutal February schedule.
The Dynamic Duo
There may not be a better backcourt duo in the MAC than the pair of Cece Hooks and Erica Johnson. The two have played together since middle school, and it’s obvious by the way their games complement each other on the court. Both can be ball-dominant, especially Hooks, who led all scorers with 25 points. But Johnson’s (21 points) ability to catch and shoot 3-pointers ensures that spacing is never a problem for the Bobcats. The MAC has to deal with the two for at least another season.
