Ohio (3-3 overall) arrives back at The Convo to face off against UIC (4-4 overall). Both of these teams are exactly .500, but Ohio does have the better record at home. Despite losing its last game, Ohio showed out offensively, dominating the shooting percentages when compared to its opponent, Davidson. In a category the Bobcats previously struggled in earlier in this season and the previous season, they have started to turn that around.
In the Davidson game, Ohio shot 37.5% from the field but shot a whopping 41.7% from three. The 41.7% was just off of a few attempts though, and Ohio took 24 threes this game. The only knock on the Bobcat offense currently is their poor free-throw shooting. Ohio is shooting just 65.9% from the free-throw line, which does lose them a lot of points and possibly cost them the game against Davidson.
Ohio's defense has continued to be strong as the team gets slightly over 12 per game. On the season, the Bobcats have 74 steals to just 45 steals from opposing teams, forcing lots of turnovers. Just last game, the team had 10 steals against Davidson.
A few players have been behind this surge in the Bobcats' turnover-forcing defense, with players like Bella Ranallo averaging 3.8 steals per game, along with Elli Garnett and Aliah McWhorter averaging 2.5 per game. If Ohio’s shooting from Davidson carries over to this game, along with the defense continuing to stay strong, expect an exciting performance from the Bobcats.
Game Info:
Opponent: UIC
Date and Time: Dec. 5, 7 p.m.
Location: The Convo (Athens, Ohio)
Where to Watch: ESPN+
UIC has a very interesting record, being 4-4 at home, 2-2 at home, 1-1 away and 1-1 in neutral arenas of play. Stat-wise, UIC has had a few interesting statistics. The team has a worse free-throw shooting percentage than Ohio, shooting at 65% flat. UIC also averages two fewer points than its opponents do, and UIC also struggles in the steals department, something Ohio excels in.
Another trend in UIC’s wins is that it tends to be very good when playing with a lead, as almost 75% of its wins are by 10 or more points. Lots of UIC’s losses are in games where they can’t gather a huge lead early on or if they have to play close. If Ohio wants to take this game, it needs to have a good first half and not dig itself into a hole as it did in the third quarter during the Davidson game.
Players to watch:
Despite having half of Ohio’s turnovers, Renallo played a solid game otherwise, scoring 15 points while also shooting 3/6 from the arc. Renallo is the team leader in steals and has been slowly heating up offensively over the course of the season, and this game against UIC could be a huge break for her.
Ohio’s Asiah Baxter also had a very good performance against Davidson, shooting the ball 50% from the field while also having 13 points. Baxter also had four steals and five rebounds that game, having more contributions than just scoring.
