Despite its second overtime loss in a row, this one to Bowling Green (16-12, 8-8 Mid-American Conference), Ohio (15-11, 9-6 MAC) was able to secure a spot in the MAC tournament. This came after Eastern Michigan's blowout loss to Miami, which Ohio needed if it didn’t defeat Bowling Green.
“I think that's what it's all about, and we all are striving to get there," graduate forward Elli Garnett said. “I think getting there is awesome, but the job is not done, it's just getting started.”
Even though Ohio grabbed a spot in the MAC tournament, the team has looked far from complete in the past few games, with shooting woes and turnovers plaguing the Bobcats. As a team over the past two games, Ohio has shot 56-156, clocking in at a 35% field goal percentage.
“I hope that maybe we can clean some things up," Ohio head coach Bob Boldon said. “We just can’t win basketball games turning the ball over as much as we turn it over and shooting it as poorly as we’ve shot it in the last two games.”
Starting off quicker in the first quarter could’ve been the difference in both games, as against Akron, the game went into two overtimes, and the Bowling Green game went into one. An extra shot made could’ve helped power the Bobcats to wins, which would’ve given them some better seeding in the tournament.
Against Bowling Green, 54% of Ohio’s shots were three-pointers, an ongoing trend throughout this season. The Bobcats only connected 20% of those, which was another reason for the offensive struggles. Against Akron, Ohio only found the bottom of the net on 26% of those shots, which could’ve been another difference maker.
“I think if we made a couple more shots in the first half as a whole, even the first quarter, I don’t think it would’ve been close," junior guard Bailey Tabeling said. “We would have had more momentum, and it would’ve kept us in the game a little bit better... it just shows that we need to just get in the gym and keep practicing our shots.”
Despite the poor shooting putting Ohio in holes early on, the team has seen a shift in rebounding, something that will be very important when the team travels to Cleveland for the MAC tournament. Against Bowling Green, Tabeling had her second-most rebounds in a game, tallying 11, 3 of which were offensive boards. She wasn’t alone in the rebounding effort as Garnett also contributed 7 of her own rebounds.
“Just tracking the ball,“ Tabeling said. “Our post players are big players... they do really well at boxing out, so not having to worry about going up against one of those big girls and just tracking it.”
There have been good moments for the team, though, as freshman guard ReRe Jennings has hit multiple buzzer beaters in the past few games to tie the games. When the offense clicks and starts hitting its shot, Ohio is a dangerous team to play.
“I was proud of her because she kind of fumbled the first shot, but she stayed with it and had the wherewithal to get the second shot up," Boldon said. “That was a fun moment... we just couldn’t quite sustain that into overtime.”
Ohio still is able to win big in Cleveland, though, if it is able to figure out its struggles in time.
“We wanted to go to Cleveland, and it sounds like we’re going to get to Cleveland in some capacity,“ Boldon said. “I hope that we can clean some things up... rebounding has gotten better, but turnovers still have not.”
bg326422@ohio.edu
