Sports

Ohio Women’s Basketball Wins Seven Straight

Posted on: Monday, February 2, 2015

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With 9:24 left in the game, Lexi Baldwin hit a layup that sprung a 16-4 run for Ohio. The Bobcats held Central Michigan scoreless for the first two minutes of that run while scoring 11-points themselves, fueling a 74-66 victory over the Chippewas.

Baldwin and Kiyanna Black carried the Bobcats throughout the run. Baldwin finished with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Black led the Bobcats in scoring with 19 points. Black hit a 3-pointer at the end of the run that gave Ohio a 60-49 lead.

Kerby Tamm hit a 3-pointer and her only shot of the game, setting the score at 62-56 and aiding the Chippewas in their comeback effort with 1:52 left. It was the first 3-pointer made by the Chippewas; they were 0-18 before the shot.

Central Michigan then began fouling Ohio on every Bobcat possession down the stretch. The strategy didn’t pay off as Ohio had already hit its first 11 free throws and went 11 of 14 from the stripe in the last two minutes of the matchup.

Quiera Lampkins nailed a free throw that gave Ohio a 69-59 lead with 45 seconds left that clinched the game for the Bobcats. Lampkins finished the game with a very quiet 15 points and seven rebounds.

Ohio jumped out to a very hot start from the field. Mariah Byard hit a 3-pointerand Lexi Baldwin hit a layup and 3-pointer to help the Bobcats start the game perfect from the field, at 5 of 5. Kat Yelle went to the free throw line and hit two free throws that gave the Bobcats a 15-4 lead. Ohio’s first miss came with 15:40 on the clock.

The Bobcats looked poised to control the game, but Crystal Bradford and Central Michigan were having none of it. The Chippewas began to chip away at the lead with a 6-0 run. Da’Jourie Turner made an and-one layup that cut Ohio’s lead to just two points at 18-16 with 11:33 left in the first half.

Soon after, Kiyanna Black blew past Bradford on her way to a layup. Black then said something that got the attention of the referee, and picked up her first technical foul of the year.

Bradford gave Central Michigan its first lead of the game at 27-25 with 1:50 left in the half. Bradford only had eight points in her last matchup with the ‘Cats last game, but on Saturday she had 13 points and seven rebounds in the first half .

Mariah Byard hit her second three of the game to give Ohio a 28-27 lead, which was the score heading into halftime despite the Bobcats being outrebounded 31-16 in the half.

Yelle hit a 3-pointer coming out of the halftime break to give Ohio a 34-31 lead. Central Michigan tied the game at 36-36 with a Turner shot. Jasmine Weatherspoon hit two free throws to give Ohio the lead right back.

Bradford then came down and made a layup that made her Central Michigan’s all-time leading scorer with 1,939 points. She finished the game with 29 points and 14 rebounds.

“I think with [Ohio], defensively, they do a very good job – teams are averaging 54 points against them,” Central Michigan coach Sue Guevara said.

Central Michigan was able to score 12 more points than the 54 that teams have averaged against Ohio, but despite the lacking defense the ‘Cats’ offense was able to pick it up. Ohio shot 40.7 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc.

The Bobcats were outrebounded 50-31, but forced 16 turnovers, and after a sloppy first half only had 11 for the game.

The Bobcats have won seven straight games, and are 17-3 on the year, and 8-1 in the Mid American Conference.

They return to the court next Feb. 7 for a meeting with Kent State at The Convo.