Ohio won its second-straight game for the first time since November on Saturday after beating Toledo 85-66 at The Convo. Bobcat guard CeCe Hooks continued her tear as one of the best two-way players in the country and the Bobcats finally seemed to find some rhythm after a rocky December.
Here are The Post’s instant reactions to the Bobcats win on Saturday.
Even when she struggles...
CeCe Hooks is a bucket. Despite struggling all game to find her shot beyond the arch, the senior point guard was the best player on the court Saturday. Hooks scored a game-high 24 points and paired it with five rebounds and three assists.
It was a quieter afternoon for Hooks’ backcourt mate Erica Johnson (11 pts, 10 rebs, 8 ast), which is wild considering how close she was to a triple double, but that was no problem. Ohio’s offense rolled over the Rockets and multiple players thrived when the Rockets became too focused on Hooks.
This crew runs deep
If you gameplan for Ohio, you better be ready to handle Hooks and Johnson, but the Bobcats showed that they’re so much more than their star backcourt.
Caityln Kroll shined for the Bobcats by contributing 14 points, most came courtesy of her four 3-pointers. Peyton Guice and Kaylee Bambule each had six and Madi Mace finished with eight points and an equal amount of rebounds.
Depth will have to be Ohio’s strength if it plans on making it through the rest of the season successfully. The way the team is currently playing could be a sign of good things to come. While the Bobcats trio of upperclassmen (Hooks, Johnson and Gabby Burris) continue to lead, it could be Ohio’s young core that puts them over the top.
Back-to-back
Not since Ohio beat Notre Dame on Nov. 27 have the Bobcats won two-straight. Despite pushing Kent State and Central Michigan to the brink, the Bobcats (5-3, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) have not had the start to conference play that they would’ve hoped.
With December’s funky schedule behind them, the Bobcats could finally find a sense of rhythm with their preparation and games. The MAC is still one of the best mid-majors in the country, but it’ll be tough to stop Ohio once it gets its feet under them.
Ohio returns back to the Convo on Wednesday to face Ball State at 6 p.m.
