Ohio (10-5 Overall, 4-1 Mid-American Conference) will be back at home defending the Convo against the Northern Illinois Huskies (3-13 Overall, 1-4 MAC) after a two-game road trip. The Bobcats are coming off a tough loss against Kent State, snapping their five-game losing streak and giving them their first Mid-American Conference loss this season. As for the Huskies, they are coming off back-to-back MAC losses where they have been outscored by a combined 38 points.
Ohio has won its last three home games in dominating fashion, as it has outscored its three opponents by a whopping 60 points, with its closest game coming during its last home game when it beat Eastern Michigan by nine points. Not only have the Bobcats been good at home recently with their three-game win streak, but they’ve been dominant at home all season. Their total home record this season is 6-2, and just 11 points separate them from a perfect 8-0 home record.
Northern Illinois has been on the road a lot this season, as about 70% of its games have been on the road. You would think the Huskies would have figured out how to play on the road, but they boast a very poor away record of 2-9. In their last eight road games, they have a 1-7 record with their average margin of loss being almost 25 points, including a 53-point blowout loss to #10 Iowa State. It's safe to say the Huskies' away games have not gone the way they would have liked so far.
One of the very few bright spots of Northern Illinois' disappointing season is its star junior forward Nevaeh Wingate. Wingate is the player Ohio needs to watch out for as she has put up great numbers on both sides of the ball as she tries to will the Huskies to wins. Wingate is 15th in the MAC in scoring as she averages 12.7 PPG, 14th in rebounds with 5.7 per game and ninth in steals, averaging 1.8 per game.
Ohio has a superstar of its own who has been putting up insanely phenomenal stats this season in junior guard Bailey Tabeling. The Bobcats great season has been a great team effort of many amazing players, but it’s no secret Tabeling is leading the pack as she is 13th in the MAC in scoring with an average of 13.4 points per game.
This includes 2.4 threes per game, which puts her at 2nd in the MAC. She’s also 10th in assists with 3.2 per game and very good at taking care of the ball with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.6, which puts her at fifth in the MAC. Not only is she very good offensively, but she is also fifth in steals with 2.3 per game.
Looking at the trends of the season and overall talent of both teams, Ohio is the clear favorite in this one, but if the Bobcats overlook the Huskies and Nevaeh Wingate, then they could be in for a close game. The Huskies will certainly be looking for a win in what is set to be their final game in the Convo as a MAC member.
