Ohio (13-9 overall) found itself in the midst of a high-scoring interconference game against Old Dominion. The Bobcats lost this one 84-76 as the game came down to the wire. It is no secret Ohio has struggled in the paint to get rebounds this season, and before the game, it looked like that problem was going to be exploited by Old Dominion.
The Monarchs had a strong advantage in the paint with two 6’4 players. This advantage should have made it very easy for Old Dominion to out-rebound Ohio, but the team didn’t let that happen. Ohio played very aggressively, fighting hard for rebounds.
Ohio’s great rebounding was especially important because it was playing a team that was making nearly every shot. The Monarchs shot 43% from the three-point line off 24 attempts, including graduate student guard En’Dya Buford making five threes.
Old Dominion's good shooting meant that Ohio had to capitalize when it missed. The Bobcats' rebounding kept them in this game when their offense was struggling. There were many times where it looked like ODU was going to pull away, but the Bobcats' aggression in the paint prevented that.
Ohio’s leader in rebounds was graduate student forward Elli Garnett with seven boards. She was well on pace for a double-double with points and rebounds until the third quarter. The aggression that was helping her so well eventually caught up to her as she would pick up her fifth foul and foul out of the game in the middle of the third quarter.
The rebounding was very even through this point in the game, but Ohio losing their leading rebounder made it seem almost inevitable for Old Dominion to take over the rebounding battle and run away with this game.
Fortunately for the Bobcats, after Garnett went out, other players stepped up big time to fill her shoes. Junior guard Bailey Tabeling had the second most rebounds with five to go along with her 11 points, four assists, two steals, and two blocks to cap off a very efficient day for her.
Junior guard Asiah Baxter and Freshman guard ReRe Jennings both had four rebounds, respectively, and many other players ended with three rebounds. After Garnett left the game, it became a team effort.
“To do it collectively, make sure everyone is trying, and we did a good job of that,” Ohio head coach Bob Boldon said on the rebounding effort. “Collectively, as a group, we did a pretty good job at getting in there and making it a competitive number.”
Ohio’s defensive aggression helped combat Old Dominion's size, but it was also able to record double-digit steals.
“I think that’s something we just emphasize throughout practice,” guard Aliah McWhorter stated about her team's steals. “We’re able to read their eyes, which helps us get in the gaps and anticipate the passes.”
Just looking at the score, it looks like a poor defensive day for the Bobcats as they allowed 84 points, but their defense is what kept this game close. There were many times when Ohio was struggling to shoot or turning over the ball, and in those times, Ohio’s aggressive rebounding and steals single-handedly kept them in the game and stopped it from being a blowout.
In the end, Old Dominion’s size ended up being too much for the Bobcats, as the Monarchs would finish with eight blocks. Three of those blocks came from their 6’4 forward, Riley Stack. Ohio would end the game with 41 rebounds, which is a season high for them in a game where they should’ve been dominated on the boards.
