Ohio (2-2 overall) returns to the Convo this Monday to play against Wright State (4-2). The Bobcats are coming off their worst shooting performance of the season against Xavier, attempting a total of 59 shots and only connecting 19 of those with the net. This has been a trend for Ohio, as for every game it plays, it has a worse field goal percentage in the next game.
The Bobcats started the season opener shooting 42.6%, but that has dipped all the way down to 32.2% in their most recent game. Ohio isn’t going to win many games with such a low shooting percentage, and with how stifled its offense has been, Ohio relies on defense a lot more.
On the defensive end, Ohio has been able to keep up with other teams, as it is very good at forcing turnovers, but the offense has been a huge struggle. Although the Bobcats force lots of turnovers from opposing teams, they aren’t able to convert those into any offense.
The Bobcats are currently taking around 31 threes per game and only converting 25% of those, leading to many missed opportunities. Ohio has taken the third most threes out of any Mid-American Conference team this season, only one attempt behind second place, but ranks 11th in that statistic, a glaring issue that Wright State can take advantage of in this matchup.
Game Info:
Opponent: Wright State
Date and Time: Nov. 24, 7 p.m.
Location: The Convo (Athens, Ohio)
Where to watch: ESPN+
After opening the season with a 20-point loss, Wright State went on a roll, winning three games in a row, including a 122-47 steamrolling of Wilberforce.
The shooting percentages for Wright State are also good, as it shoots 43.7% from the field as a team while also shooting 35.1% from the arc. Wright State is also averaging 82.2 points per game, but that is also skewed by its unorthodox scoring in the game against Wilberforce.
Despite having all these good shooting statistics, lots of these stats are inflated by the Wilberforce game, not just its scoring average. Wright State shot almost 50% from three in that game, but hasn’t been able to reach those heights in its other five games.
Wright State is also averaging 12 turnovers a game, and it hasn’t faced a team that pesters ball handlers and passing lanes as much as Ohio, so this could prove to be a formidable matchup. Despite how good Wright State’s stats are, they are heavily inflated from a single game, which makes the matchup a lot more even than a glance. Expect a hard-fought battle from both teams, with the key to an Ohio win being better shooting.
Players to Watch:
Ohio’s Aliah McWhorter has been a standout scorer for the team this season, leading the team in scoring with 12.8 points per game. She also leads the team in field goal percentage, converting at 57.1%. McWhorter also leads the Bobcats in blocks on the season, with three.
On Wright State’s end, both Rylee Sagester and Breezie Williams have been the leading scorers, both averaging around 13 a game. Sagester also has been a huge threat from behind the arc, as she is making three pointers at a rate of 47.5%.
