Ohio (12-5, 6-1 Mid-American Conference) beat Bowling Green (13-6, 4-3 MAC) by a score of 82-57 on Wednesday night. It was one of the best games of the season for the Bobcats, as the team shot 58% from the field while also hitting 59% of their threes. After a poor offensive performance in the last game, Ohio went out and more than made up for that.
Two Ohio players scored 20 points, with Bella Ranallo contributing 26 points and Bailey Tabeling contributing 20 more. Tabeling only missed one shot in this game, a three-point attempt while Ranallo also added four steals to the Bobcats tally.
Ohio was able to take control of the first quarter and set the tone of the game right away. Both teams shot the ball well, with Bowling Green shooting around a 45% clip, but Ohio getting off four more shots in the quarter and being more efficient with those shots allowed the team to take the lead.
After Bowling Green cut the lead down to one point with a score of 9-8, Ohio would proceed to go on a 9-0 run, with two three-pointers from Monica Williams paving the way. Despite an attempt from Bowling Green to cut the lead late into the first quarter, Ranallo canned a three-pointer to maintain a seven-point lead. The first quarter ended with a score of 23-16 in favor of Ohio.
Ohio really got ahead in the second quarter, as Bowling Green was only able to make two shots and a pair of free throws in this quarter. Bowling Green shot 14% from the field, and the defense wasn’t able to make up for it, as the Bobcats didn’t let off the gas pedal and scored 23 more points in this quarter.
This was the second quarter in a row that Ohio shot over 60% from three, helping the score get piled on quicker. Bowling Green had no answer in this quarter, and it pretty much sealed the game for them, as even if they managed another good quarter, Ohio was shooting the lights out in this game, making nine three pointers at the half. The second quarter ended with a score of 46-23, with Ohio up.
In the third quarter, Ohio’s lead climbed all the way to 30 points at one point as the scoring continued. Almost anything Ohio shot at the net went in, with another quarter of over 60% three point shooting. Overall, the team shot 75% from the field, and everyone seemed to have the hot hand, with Bowling Green’s attempts to outscore the Bobcats falling flat.
Bowling Green would be able to cut the lead to a slightly more respectable 24 points by the end of the quarter, but with Ohio playing like this in three straight quarters, it would be very hard for a comeback to happen. The third quarter ended with the score being 66-42, Ohio once again keeping the lead.
For Ohio, it would win if it didn’t make any mistakes and kept up the shooting pressure. That is exactly what the Bobcats did. Two instant free throws from Tabeling helped add to the ever-growing lead. Bowling Green had another poor shooting quarter, as all the shots taken by the team were from behind the arc. With Ohio being able to defend these shots well and its offense still flowing, it was a recipe for a win.
Tabeling and Ranallo continued their scoring onslaughts in this quarter, being responsible for most of the points. Bowling Green had no answer for them, and the game ended on two free throws from Ranallo, securing a 25-point win. Ohio would take the game 82-57, giving it a 6-1 record in the MAC.
With this 6-1 record, Ohio jumps up to third place, with both teams above it being 7-0. The Bobcats look to continue MAC play, as the team will return to the Convo this Saturday to play Toledo.
