TOLEDO - Following the Ohio women's basketball team's 68-65 loss in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Saturday night, faces were long, and players and coaches were nearly silent.
Granted, Ohio (13-15 overall, 7-10 MAC) played the obvious role of underdog to the home team Toledo Rockets (13-15, 9-8 MAC), but the loss still hurt: It marked the end of a season, the end of three collegiate playing careers and the team's last game until November.
After falling behind by as many as 13 points during the first half and trailing by 10 at the break, the Bobcats mounted a furious comeback to twice tie the game before falling just one basket short of their first trip to Cleveland in two years.
We didn't defend them
coach Lynn Bria said. Not taking anything away from them but our containment was so poor. We made an adjustment in the second half and got a different outcome. We probably should have gone to that a little earlier.
The Bobcats shot 47 percent from the floor - the team's sixth straight game of 45 percent or better - but that performance paled to Toledo's shooting. The Rockets connected on eight of their first nine attempts, en route to hitting 62 percent of their shots during the first half.
Ohio held Toledo to 32 percent shooting during the second half, allowing the Bobcats to surge back from a 41-31 halftime deficit.
They're more athletic than we are Toledo coach Mark Ehlen said. They pounded us on the boards in the second half
and they didn't give us the open looks.
The last 20 minutes, however, were marked by free throws. The Rockets hit 14-of-19 from the line, while Ohio was just 1-of-3. Toledo made 16-of-24 free throws during the game. Ohio was just 4-of-12.
If you make some free throws
you win the game
Bria said.
The game was the last in the green and white for seniors Latreece Bagley, Candace Bates and Andrea Gay. Bagley poured in game highs of 20 points and nine rebounds, and Bates and Gay contributed four and three points, respectively.
They've been around forever
and you just get attached to them as people
Bria said. They were my first class
so it makes it special.
The Bobcats will return ten players from this year's team, including forward Lindsay Wight, who scored 14 points and hit four 3-pointers Saturday, and guard Angel Hornsburger, who contributed six assists, four points, two rebounds and one steal. The graduation of three seniors, though, will be felt by the Bobcats well into the fall.
They (the three graduating seniors) have just been a tremendous help to the team
wing Andrea Johnson said
