Ohio (3-14, 1-5 Mid-American Conference) picked up its first MAC win of the season Saturday, 84-73, when it avoided an epic collapse against Miami (7-12, 2-4 MAC).
The Bobcats immediately got out to a hot start in the game when they ended the first quarter on an 11-4 scoring run to take a 22-13 lead into the second quarter.
The Bobcats added to their lead with back-to-back made 3-pointers from Yaya Felder and Abby Garnett. Jasmine Hale's layup extended the Bobcat lead to 17. The Redhawks ended the first half on an 8-2 scoring run to cut the Bobcat lead to nine at halftime.
The Red Hawks dwindled the Bobcat lead to six in the third quarter, but a Kate Dennis 3-pointer and a layup from Felder put the Bobcats back up 11. The Bobcats increased their lead to 12 by the end of the quarter.
The Bobcats played stellar defense to start the fourth quarter, and two free throws from Felder increased the Bobcat lead to 15 with just over six minutes to play. The Bobcats continued to play good defense down the stretch and maintained a 10-point lead with 1:40 to play. The Red Hawks scored two quick points from the free throw line, and after a Bobcat turnover, the Red hawks made a layup to make the Bobcat lead to six.
With 30 seconds left, Ella Pope made two clutch free throws to put the Bobcats up eight, a lead that appeared to be out of reach. After Pope's free throws, ESPN Analytics gave the Bobcats a 99.9% chance of winning the game, but the Red Hawks kept fighting.
Ivy Wolf made a quick jumper, and with little time remaining the Red Hawks were forced to put Felder at the free-throw line. Both Felder and Jasmine Hale split a pair of free throws and Ohio held a six-point lead with 10 seconds remaining.
Ivy Wolf made a 3-pointer, making the score 66-63, but Miami's Sierra Morrow was fouled during the shot and had a chance to make it a one-point game. She missed both free throws, however, and it looked like Miami's chance had passed.
But the Red Hawks quickly fouled Garnett, who missed both free throws. The Red Hawks had one last chance to tie the game with seven seconds left, and Ivy Wolf was fouled while shooting a three. Wolf made all three free throws to tie the game at 66 with only two seconds to play. The Bobcats couldn't score on their final possession in regulation and the game was sent to overtime.
Things went from bad to worse early in the overtime period for the Bobcats. Peyton Scott converted a three-point play to give the Redhawks one of their only leads of the game. On the Bobcats' first offensive possession, Felder was called for an offensive foul, her fifth, which eliminated her from the rest of the game.
The Bobcats looked doomed trailing by three without their best player, but their defense came up with a key stop, and Jasmine Hale tied the game with a three-point play of her own. After another defensive stop, Caitlyn Kroll knocked down a three to put the Bobcats back on top.
Pope then made a long two, and Kroll made two free throws and the Bobcats had a seven-point lead with just over a minute to go in overtime. The Bobcats continued to play lockdown defense, and they were able to win the game 84-73.
The win snapped the Bobcats' 10-game losing streak and gave them their first win in conference play.
Felder led the Bobcats with 28 points before fouling out, while Kroll finished the game with a 20-point double-double and led the team with 10 rebounds. Hale and Pope were the other two Bobcats to finish the game with double figures in scoring.
