Ohio (10-4 overall, 4-0 Mid-American Conference) kept its dominant MAC start going with a comfortable 71-59 win on the road against Buffalo (2-13 Overall, 0-4 MAC).
This win extended the Bobcats' winning streak to five and kept them at the top of the MAC standings with an early 4-0 start and a 10-4 overall record. The Bobcats are now only one of three teams undefeated in the MAC as the season starts getting further along. Ohio is tied with Ball State and its rivals, Miami, for first in the conference.
This is the first 4-0 MAC start for Ohio since the 2015-16 season over a decade ago. The Bobcats finished 16-2 in that season.
On Saturday, Ohio had a very dominant first quarter against Buffalo as it outscored the Bulls by 12 with a score of 16-4.
Junior guard Bailey Tabeling got Ohio on the board first with a three, the first of her 14 points on the day.
The Bobcats' defense was very good this quarter as they played aggressively, making Buffalo uncomfortable and leading to them turning over the ball and missing shots. Ohio forced six Buffalo turnovers early, locking in early on the defensive side of the ball.
This dominant first quarter really set the tone for the rest of the game as Buffalo and Ohio were playing very close in the final three quarters, but the Bulls just weren’t able to recover from their poor quarter-one performance.
The Bobcats scored just one more point than Buffalo in the second quarter, but still went into the break with a double-digit lead. The competitive play continued in the third quarter as the Bulls tied the Bobcats in the third frame.
Ohio’s star Tabeling continued her strong season campaign as she recorded a team-high 14 points while shooting 6-9 from the floor and 2-4 from the three. She also tacked on four rebounds to that great offensive performance.
The Bobcats' sophomore forward Danni Scully also had a very good game with almost identical stats to her star teammate Tabeling. Scully was able to record a team-high of 14 points while shooting 6/9 in the field, and she also added four rebounds.
This great Ohio tag team that combined for 28 points, and Ohio’s consistently aggressive and energetic defense, was more than enough to win them the game and keep their momentum rolling heavily throughout the game.
The two were at their best in the fourth, as they helped Ohio shoot 8-11 from the field to close out the game on a high note.
The Bobcats are back on the road this Wednesday as they are travelling up north to Kent, Ohio, to take on the 6-10 Golden Flashes, who are 1-4 in the MAC.
