Ohio and Central Michigan battled for a head start in the Mid-American Conference title race Wednesday night at The Convo. The two squads went back and forth for the full 40 minutes, but the game’s most pivotal moments came in the last 10 seconds.
Down by one, Ohio guard Erica Johnson gave the Bobcats a 71-70 lead after making a tough mid-air jumper. The crowd shook the bleachers but not the nerve of the visiting team. Central Michigan coach Heather Oesterle called a timeout with a plan ready.
Ohio came back on the floor with its eyes keyed into the Chippewas’ best player. The Bobcats thought the ball was going to the nation’s second-leading scorer Micaela Kelly, but instead, it went to sharpshooter Gabrielle Bird, who sank a 30-footer with a hand in her face to give the Chippewas a 73-71 win.
The loss not only left the home team stunned, but it snapped Ohio’s (8-5, 1-1 MAC) two-game winning streak and gave the Bobcats their first home loss of the season in the process. The Bobcats were 10 seconds away from partying in the locker room, but instead were stuck with the harsh reality that they now have to play catch up with Central Michigan (9-4, 2-0) in the MAC title hunt.
“Central (Michigan)’s good. Don’t discount the fact that they’re good,” Ohio coach Bob Boldon said. “But I thought they had a little more bounce to their steps than us, which is disappointing. It’s a long season, and it’s part of it.”
Despite the loss, several Bobcats stood out. Cece Hooks led all scorers with 27 points and paired it with nine rebounds. Johnson dropped 17 points, but the Chippewas tough defense made her go 6-for-22 to get it. Caitlyn Kroll had another impressive outing off the bench with 8 points on four shots. Defensively, the Bobcats held Kelly to a manageable 21 points, but allowed three other Chippewas — including Bird (17 points) — to reach double digits.
Central Michigan wasn’t the only thing in the way of an Ohio win. The Bobcats entered Wednesday's game with plenty of obstacles. Senior guard Amani Burke had a fever of 101 degrees, and half of the team in some way was battling illness.
That still didn’t stop Ohio from jumping out to a commanding 24-12 lead after the first quarter.
Fatigue and a Central Michigan surge in the second quarter, however, quickly changed the tone of the game. Central Michigan went on an 18-0 run over a four-and-a-half minute stretch, and with Boldon unable to risk one of the team’s timeouts, the Bobcats were forced to fend for themselves.
“We’re going to have some defensive breakdowns here and then, but we have to learn how to fight through them,” Ohio point guard Cece Hooks said.
Ohio’s breakdown wiped away the early lead, and all that remained was a 35-34 deficit at the half.
Coming out of the half, Hooks and the Bobcats went back to what was working in the first. The Bobcats went on a 7-0 run, but the Chippewas quickly responded with a run of their own. The teams continued to trade for the rest of the quarter, but Bird’s emergence kept the Bobcats a couple of possessions away from the lead.
“She was hitting all game,” Hooks said.
In the fourth, Hooks was the one who took over the game. Time and again, she turned the defensive prowess that won her the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award last season into points, but even she had issues with the daunting physicality of the game.
With two minutes to go, Hooks had to be escorted to the locker room after taking a charge that left her wincing in pain on the ground. The junior displayed her toughness moments later, though, and returned back into the game.
“I knew my teammates needed me,” Hooks said.
Hooks’ return did give the Bobcats hope but not result they were looking for.
Ohio now must turn its sights to Buffalo, the team that defeated the Bobcats in their last meeting in the MAC Tournament Championship game. The team is still mentally and physically ill from Wednesday night’s loss, but that may be a positive come Saturday.
“I feel like it will motivate us,” Johnson said. “It will kind of push us to come out better against Buffalo.”
