Sports
Lampkins Stuffs Stat Sheet as Bobcats Beat Illinois
By: Thomas Garverick
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Thanks to a huge third quarter run, the Ohio women’s basketball team beat the Illinois Fighting Illini Thursday, 80-68, to move to 9-1 on the season.
The Bobcats are getting into the critical part of their non-conference schedule as they look to continue to build momentum as they head into Mid-American Conference play. The Fighting Illini were the second Big Ten team the Bobcats have faced this year but the result was vastly different.
Michigan defeated the Bobcats earlier this year, giving the Bobcats their only blemish on the year. The Bobcats made sure that they wouldn’t suffer another loss to the hands of another Big Ten team as the Illini (5-8), did not post the same challenges that the Wolverines did in Ann Arbor.
The Bobcats got off to a slow start in the Convo tonight as they shot just 35 percent from the field, including just 4-of-19 from beyond the arc. With the Bobcats struggling on the offensive side of the ball in the first half, the Illini were able to hang around as they shot 42 percent from the field, aided by a big first half from sophomore forward Alex Wittinger. Wittinger scored 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.
The Bobcats were highly tested in the first half, but they were able to finally flex their muscles in the second half. The Bobcats used a 22-4 run in the third quarter to take a 23-point lead and put aside any thoughts of the Illini trying to steal a victory in the Convo.
The offense for the Bobcats picked up in the third quarter and for the remaining of the game. They were aided by seven 3-pointers and by the distributing abilities of guards Taylor Agler and Quiera Lampkins, who had seven of their combined 11 assists in the second half.
With the offense hitting its stride in the second half, they were still able to overcome the magnificent effort of Wittinger who continued to have her fingerprints all over this one, finishing with 25 points and nine rebounds on an astounding 12-of-16 shooting from the field.
The Bobcats finished with five players in double figures Thursday, as they were able to get multiple contributions from players to mute Wittinger’s performance. Once again, the Bobcats were led by the senior Lampkins, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists as she was the definition of a stat-sheet stuffer.
The Bobcats will conclude their non-conference schedule with a date at North Carolina A&T on Wednesday, Dec. 28. They will then follow with the beginning of MAC play as they travel to play Bowling Green on New Year’s Eve . Action won’t be back in the Convo until the New Year, when the Bobcats host Buffalo.