After suffering its first conference loss of the season, Ohio will look to pick up a crucial road win Saturday against Buffalo. The Bulls, however, won’t be an easy out. Buffalo is the deepest team in the Mid-American Conference and recently have had the Bobcats’ number on speed dial. The Bulls have won two in a row against Ohio and were the team that kept the Bobcats from making the NCAA Tournament.
The rematch of 2019’s conference tournament final comes early in MAC play, but could carry postseason implications. While the winner will rise to the top of the standings in the East Division, the loser will slip back in the race for the conference crown.
GAME INFORMATION
Opponent: Buffalo (10-3, 1-1 MAC)
Gametime: 1 p.m.
Place: Alumni Arena (Buffalo, NY)
Where to watch: ESPN+
How to listen: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ohio/
MEET THE OPPONENT:
Head Coach: Felisha Legette-Jack (8th season)
Probable starters
02 Dyaisha Fair
11 Theresa Onwuka
10 Hanna Hall
52 Elea Gaba
30 Marissa Hamilton
Reserves
23 Keowa Walters
25 Adebola Adeyeye
55 Jessika Schiffer
04 Aireal Dickson
INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS
Points per game: Fair (23.1)
Rebounds per game: Onwuka (7.0)
Steals : Fair (39)
Field goal percentage : Fair (.368)
3-point percentage: Onwuka (.429)
Free throw percentage : Hall (.864)
TEAM STATS
*Ohio’s stats in parenthesis
Points per game: 70.7 (70.1)
Rebounds per game: 42.8 (35.5)
Steals per game : 9.0 (11.23)
Field goal percentage : .404 (.399)
3-point percentage: .307 (.322)
Free throw percentage : .697 (.623)
SERIES HISTORY
Ohio trails the Bulls in the all-time series 18-24. Ohio won the first meeting in last year’s series at Alumni Arena in overtime, 74-71. Buffalo responded by winning the next two games by a margin of 46 points and one of those meetings came in the MAC Tournament final.
Ohio had been hot all tournament but had no answer for the length, depth and emergence of guard Hanna Hall. Even though Ohio had an undefeated non-conference record, its loss in the tournament finale to the Bulls was what kept the Bobcats from going dancing in the NCAA Tournament.
PLAYERS TO WATCH FOR
In Wednesday’s loss to the Chippewas, senior Amani Burke struggled from her usual 30-foot plus distance. She also struggled with a 101 degree fever prior to the start of the game. Saturday, the Bobcats will need Burke at full health to hold off the Bulls.
In last season’s win at Buffalo, Burke had double-double and the Bobcats go-ahead bucket in overtime. Her 3-point shooting, which ranks among the top-10 in the conference, can take teams out of games and kill their momentum. Without her at her best, Ohio may struggle to keep up with Buffalo’s string of shooters.
There’s a handful of players Ohio should watch out for on Saturday but none more than freshman Dyaisha Fair. Fair is currently the clear front runner for MAC Freshman of the Year and is the engine behind Buffalo’s 10-3 start despite losing star forward Summer Hemphill before the season. Fair is second in scoring with 23.1 points per game.
Ohio will have its hands full with a skilled player that they’ve never seen before, but what about the familiar faces?
While Fair may be the Bulls best scorer, forward Theresa Onwuka is a top-five scorer and top-10 rebounder in the conference. She’ll be able to switch on any of Ohio’s ball handlers. Finally, Bulls’ guard Hanna Hall torched the Bobcats for 17 in Cleveland and will hope to build on that performance.
WHY IS THIS GAME IMPORTANT?
While it’s only the third game of a long conference season, ramifications of losing are high for both teams. Ohio and Buffalo lost their previous games to Central Michigan and Toledo, respectively, and both need a win to ensure they don’t fall behind. Central Michigan is in the driver’s seat toward its fourth-straight regular season title, and whoever loses this game may find themselves stuck in gear.
