Ohio defeated Purdue 80-73 on Wednesday night at The Convo to keep its undefeated record intact. The Bobcats were led by 31 points from Cece Hooks and Ohio beat their only Power 5 opponent on its nonconference schedule. It was its second victory over Purdue in the past two seasons.
Below are three takeaways from the game.
Offense shows it’s legit
Ohio answered one of the biggest questions that persisted throughout its undefeated start to the season.
Is the offense legit?
The Bobcats proved it was legit after four players achieved double-digit point totals against a Purdue defense that held opponents to 60.4 points per game before Wednesday. Ohio had 41 points by the end of the first half and hit 39.7 percent of its shots.
Defense stands tall
It’s been no secret the Bobcats’ offense has been the pulse of Ohio’s success, but its defense certainly helped played a role in its victory on Wednesday.
The Bobcats snagged 11 steals, five blocks and 43 rebounds. Hooks used her defensive abilities to lead Ohio with five steals and forced Purdue to work around her. She turned her third steal into an easy layup, which gave Ohio a convincing 12-point lead with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The defense also shut down Dominique Oden, who led Purdue with 15 points per game before Wednesday. Oden missed the last three minutes of the first half after suffering an injury, but the Bobcats held her to 16 points.
Waiting for full-game consistency
The Bobcats are still looking for a fully consistent game — one in which it dominates each quarter — against a quality team this season.
Yes, Ohio’s win was convincing, but it still started slow. The Bobcats trailed 17-15 at the end of the first quarter and their offense was hitting on just 30 percent of its shots. It’s a start that coach Bob Boldon would’ve wanted his team to drop, but the Bobcats were able to pick themselves up in the next three quarters to secure a win.