Ohio was down by one point with seven seconds left in its game against Miami on Monday night in Millett Hall.
The RedHawks made a layup to extend the deficit to three points, but the Bobcats were primed with one final possession. They only needed a clean 3-pointer to tie the score and push the game into overtime. Erica Johnson made a 3-point attempt with two seconds left, but the numbers on the scoreboard never changed. Ohio’s fight was over. It lost to Miami 63-60.
Here are the numbers to know from Ohio’s loss:
1
Ohio had an abysmal shooting day. It went 1-for-17 from beyond the arc. Madi Mace was the only Bobcat to make a 3-pointer Monday night. Johnson, Ohio’s usual shooting ace, missed all eight of her attempts from beyond the arc.
A lack of shooting range is not a new issue for the Bobcats, but their problems reached a fever pitch against Miami. They have only had a 3-point percentage in a game above 40% once this season. They will need to rehabilitate their shooting before they enter the heart of their Mid-American Conference schedule.
4
The Bobcats were no stranger to large leads in the beginning of the season, but that’s changed. Their largest lead against the RedHawks was a mere four points, which came after Cece Hooks sank a free throw early in the fourth quarter.
The sudden change in leads is due in part to stronger competition. Ohio is no longer playing one-offs against smaller programs. It may have been picked to win the MAC in the Preseason Coaches’ Poll, but Ohio’s record throughout conference play this season has been wishy-washy.
8
Not much set the two teams apart Monday aside from Ohio’s inability to shoot from beyond the arc. The score was tied eight times during the game, and both teams had equal possessions. It was Miami’s slight offensive edge that tipped the scales in its favor.
Most of the Bobcats’ shooters were silent against the RedHawks. Johnson and Hooks were the only two Bobcats to score more than 10 points.
15
The Bobcats were thieves against the RedHawks. They stole the ball 15 times — triple the RedHawks’ mere five steals. The Bobcats’ ability to catch their opponent off guard is a valuable asset to their defense. Steals also allow for more fast breaks, which the Bobcats benefited from Monday.
26
Miami received a 26-point boost from its bench players. Ohio wasn’t as fortunate. Its bench only tacked on five points, and all of those points came from Yaya Felder.
However, the Bobcats only utilized two bench players. Miami brought in five throughout the game. There were not as many opportunities for the Bobcats’ bench players to make contributions to the offense.
