Ohio entered Saturday’s game against Bowling Green in desperate need of a win.
The Bobcats have had a rocky start to Mid-American Conference play, with four games postponed and a disappointing 2-2 record heading into Saturday’s game with the Falcons. They were struggling beyond the arc, their attack had felt sloppy and uninspired and they were developing a habit of slow starts.
Everything changed when they stomped on the Falcons inside The Convo on Saturday.
Ohio (9-5, 3-2 Mid-American Conference) got off to a strong start beyond the arc to take an early lead and never looked back in their 85-70 win over Bowling Green (7-7, 2-3 MAC). Ohio went 10 of 21 from 3-point range, a far cry from its abysmal performance against Miami on Monday. Ohio easily sank 3 runs. At halftime, he was 7 of 14 from beyond the arc and had built up a 16-point lead.
“We shot really well today,” Ohio coach Bob Boldon said. “We probably shot him the best we’ve ever shot in non-conference play, and we shot him miserably in conference play.”
Ohio has traditionally been a strong 3-point shooting team under Boldon, and while their 3-point percentage this year is actually slightly higher than last year, that number doesn’t tell the whole story.
The Bobcats have often had trouble this season with poor shooting stints from beyond the arc, especially early in games. They often made their percentage respectable by hitting later shots, but those slow starts had begun to cost them dearly.
However, Saturday’s performance is something to build on, and it showed what Ohio can do when they consistently make 3-pointers.
Even when the Bobcats don’t knock down a 3, they still shoot. Whether they missed the last two, five or 10 attempts, they continue to battle it out. The Bobcats are confident they’ll make the next shot no matter how many they’ve missed before.
Boldon knows how important that mentality is, but he also recognizes how difficult it is to continue to approach games that way.
“The frustration of missing an open shot is just hard,” Boldon said. “But it’s also difficult because these children work there. If they weren’t working on it, it wouldn’t matter. But these kids shoot and they know they should make it and they don’t and they don’t and they don’t and then it’s the Miami game and then you’re 1 of 17.”
Ohio’s stubborn approach to 3-point shooting finally paid off on Saturday. He now knows he can produce in conference, and he has a chance to take a step forward in the coming weeks.
Outside of 3-ball, the main reason the Bobcats came out of their offensive slump was the even score. Cece Hooks led the game with 27 points to become the MAC’s all-time leading scorer, and three other Bobcats scored in double figures. Hooks was trailed by Erica Johnson and Gabby Burris, who combined for 34 points late in the game.
Ohio also got 12 points from Kaylee Bambule, who has been inconsistent for the Bobcats this year. But Bambule found his rhythm on Saturday, shooting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc. Bambule’s performance provided what Ohio needed. Her only consistent 3-point threat this season has been Johnson, and she’s struggled since returning to the lineup.
If Saturday’s game is any indication, Ohio could be on the cusp of a hot streak. His MAC schedule is starting to ramp up, and a massive win over Bowling Green is just the right time to ignite a spark.
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