Two teams heading in opposite directions will be facing each other for the second time tonight.
Ohio (15-10, 8-5 Mid-American Conference) is kicking off a two-game road trip by traveling to New York to face Buffalo (8-17, 3-10 MAC).
The Bobcats extended their winning streak to three after beating Miami 87-74 Sunday, thanks to a strong first-half performance in which they scored 52 points on 64-percent shooting.
We're being a lot more physical and a lot more aggressive
guard Lauren Kohn said after the Miami game. When we played at Kent State and at Miami we were a passive team and let them take it to us. But now we've switched roles and that's what has helped us.
While Ohio has turned things around after a sluggish start to the conference schedule, Buffalo still is in a tailspin. The Bulls have lost seven of their last nine games, including their most recent game, an 85-44 whipping by Bowling Green.
In the last meeting between the teams Jan. 10, Ohio jumped out to an early lead and was beating Buffalo by as many as 12 points with eight minutes to go, but the Bulls charged back and were able to tie the game with two minutes left. A 3-pointer with little time left and a block at the buzzer by Kohn allowed the Bobcats to escape with a narrow 69-66 win.
Coach Sylvia Crawley said after her team got revenge on Kent State and Miami for losses earlier in the season by beating them last week, it can't afford to let Buffalo do the same this time around.
We beat Buffalo before and they're going to make changes
but we don't know what they're going to do
Crawley said. We have to be careful when we play Buffalo.
With a game against nationally ranked Bowling Green looming, guard Rachel Frederick said the team has to stay focused on the task at hand.
Bowling Green's the top team in the MAC
and we're really excited to play them
but we can't overlook Buffalo either just because they're a lower-ranked team
Frederick said.
The Bulls' offense relies heavily on forward Heather Turner. The team's leading scorer and rebounder, Turner, averages 12.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She was held to nine points and five rebounds in this season's first meeting with the Bobcats.
Guards Stephanie Bennett and Rachelle Matthys provide threats along the perimeter, combining to hit 107 3-pointers so far this season. Bennett led the second-half charge against the Bobcats last month, finishing with 20 points and a career-high six 3-pointers.
Next up...
OHIO (15-10, 8-5 MAC)
at
BUFFALO (8-17, 3-10 MAC)
7 tonight, Alumni Arena,
Buffalo, N.Y.
G
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