Kamille Buckner scored only six points Saturday, but the four she scored on one possession were the most important.
With Ball State holding a 58-56 lead late in the game, Buckner got an offensive rebound and was fouled while making a shot.
After missing the free throw, Jennifer Bushby then found Buckner, who promptly made a layup to break the tie.
Ohio (6-15, 2-6 Mid-American Conference) was able to hold onto the lead, winning 62-59. The Bobcats looked like a different team in the closing minutes Saturday, and certainly not like a team that has struggled lately in close games.
I always talk about playing hard
but I always tell them to play smart too coach Semeka Randall said. I thought we played smart in all aspects of the game.
Bushby single-handedly kept the Bobcats in the game early in the second half as the Cardinals (9-12, 3-5 MAC) started to change the tempo. The senior hit shots from all over the court in a dazzling shooting display and scored 11 of Ohio's first 13 points in the second half.
Bushby finished with 23 points, and Jenny Poff also was spot-on offensively, adding 14 of
her own.
With both players in a groove, Ohio got a glimpse of how good it can be when the two
play well.
When we both shoot the ball and are both making it
we're a different team
Bushby said.
The Bobcats, though shorthanded, received solid contributions from the bench.
With Thia Gholson and Da'Keisha Mann out, reserves Tina Fisher and Maxine Ohakim stepped up and helped slow down Ball State's post attack.
Everybody always talks about how small we are as a team
Randall said. But we out-rebounded them 40-29 and they
had trees.
The latter stages against the Cardinals followed a similar script to recent games, but had a different and welcomed result.
This time, the Bobcats were up to the task of getting the lead back.
We just had poise today
Randall said. We just stepped up and did some tremendous things.
Despite losing six of its first seven conference games, the win was refreshing for Randall, who pointed out her team's composure in the
closing minutes.
It's both rewarding and relieving that we got the win
Randall said. In this league
most of the games are going to go down to the wire
and we just showed great poise.
