Ohio (11-5, 5-1 Mid-American Conference) defeated Northern Illinois (3-14 overall, 1-5 MAC) by a score of 66-62. The game was sloppy on the Bobcats’ end, with the team shooting 13% in the first quarter, but they were able to power through with defense, as that side of the ball is what really stood out in this game for Ohio.
“I’m happy that we won. It was a game that we had to grind out,” Ohio head coach Bob Boldon said. “You have to try to create some energy.”
That energy was not there for Ohio’s offense in the first quarter. This quarter of play was very rough for the Bobcats, as despite attempting 15 shots, only two of them went in. Out of those 15 shots, 12 of them were from three-point range.
Defense was what kept Ohio in this first quarter. The Bobcats were able to force numerous turnovers and prevent Northern Illinois from scoring too many points. Despite the poor shooting from the Bobcats, the first quarter ended with a score of 11-9, Northern Illinois in the lead.
“We agree to be more aggressive, " Ohio sophomore Danni Scully said. Like the past couple of games, we were struggling defensively, and that's one thing we pride ourselves on. Our offense is going to flow through our defense.”
The second quarter was much more potent for the Bobcats, as the offense truly came alive. The team didn’t live or die by the three-pointer and threw in a mix of shot attempts. Ohio freshman ReRe Jennings started to also come alive in this quarter, scoring a few layups and a three-pointer. The defense also didn’t let up, continuing to pressure Northern Illinois.
The culmination of all of this was an Ohio lead of 31 to 22 at halftime. In what was a major improvement for Ohio, they shot 60% from the field in this quarter, helped a lot by the immense amount of paint scores.
“I was just playing my game," Jennings said. “They think I’m going to go to the rack, but sometimes I’ll shoot a three.”
The third quarter was once again a struggle for Ohio. Many self-inflicted turnovers prevented Ohio from getting any momentum, and Northern Illinois suddenly found its shot. Northern Illinois canned 50% of its three pointers, keeping the score close for the entire quarter.
Ohio’s defense also started to tire out, and it was noticeable, as Northern Illinois was able to get its most shots in a quarter into the game. Northern Illinois quickly took what was a nine-point Bobcat lead and turned it into a one-point lead toward the latter end of the quarter, putting pressure on Ohio. By the end of the quarter, Ohio only managed to hold onto a five-point lead, with the Northern Illinois offense starting to seem unstoppable.
“We were a little bit late on our switches," Boldon said. “Our communication wasn’t as good as it was in the first half.”
Despite a sloppy start to the second half, Ohio was able to rally and hold on. Bailey Tabeling started to heat up in this quarter, draining two early threes to help keep the Bobcat lead. Ohio’s defense continued to hold up in this quarter, forcing turnovers from Northern Illinois.
Ohio managed to hold around a five-point lead for most of the quarter, and despite Northern Illinois hitting a late three and Ohio missing four free throws at the end, the Bobcats were able to hold on. Despite the win, Ohio committed 16 turnovers, continuing to show one of its biggest struggles.
“There's a negative side that you can just complain about turnovers, but the positive side is that we can fix the turnover situation,” Boldon said. “We can get five or six more shots a game.”
With this win against Northern Illinois, Ohio stays in fourth place in the MAC and will continue MAC play on the road against Bowling Green.
