Sports
Ohio Women’s Basketball: Bobcats dismantle Power Five opponent Pitt, 72-50
By: Bryan Kurp
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The Bobcats spent Thanksgiving in Daytona Beach, Florida. Aside from the warm weather and the beach, Ohio was given another chance to build its non-conference resumé in the Daytona Beach Invitational.
The Bobcats were presented another opportunity against a Power Five opponent on Friday. Ohio picked up a Big Ten victory against Ohio State a few weeks ago and can now add a victory against an ACC opponent to its resumé.
Ohio (5-1) had very little trouble against Pitt (2-4), a program that is rebuilding under second year head coach Lance White, with a 72-50 victory. With the win, Ohio has beaten two Power Five opponents in a single season for the third time in program history.
Ohio grabbed its first lead of the day at the 6:43 mark in the first quarter, which was a three-point basket by Gabby Burris, and did not look back.
Burris led Ohio with 17 points and accounted for two of the Bobcats’ nine threes in the game. Amani Burke scored 13 points and Katie Barker finished with 12 points, all coming from her team-leading four three-pointers.
Ohio broke open the score in the second quarter. After Pitt pulled within five points, the Bobcats hit five three pointers. Burke paced Ohio with 11 points in the quarter and was 3-of-3 from three-point range. Ohio went to the half up 18 points.
Unlike the Bobcats, Pitt was unable to connect on its three pointers.
The Panthers were held to just one three-pointer in the entire game, which came late in the first quarter from Aysia Bugg.
Amber Brown led Pitt with 14 points and Bugg finished with 10 points. The Panthers only shot 31 percent from the field.
The Bobcats can only celebrate the victory for a little bit as they will face Butler (4-2) on Saturday morning in their second game of the Daytona Beach Invitational. The Bulldogs lost their first game on Friday against Georgia, 69-36. Tip-off between Ohio and Butler is set for 11 a.m.