Sports

Ohio falls to Ball State 77-53 in round one of the MAC Tournament

By: Ayden Crowley
Posted on: Wednesday, March 13, 2024

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CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOUB) – No. 2 Ball State’s size proved to be too much in No. 7 Ohio’s 77-53 loss in round one of the MAC Tournament. 

The Bobcats traveled to Cleveland with momentum. They closed out the season winners of three of their last four in conference.

But they also traveled to the tournament with youth. Four out of five starters for Ohio were underclassmen, and freshman Bailey Tabeling said she felt the nerves.

“It was definitely nerve racking,” Tabeling said. “Just trying to figure out what we needed to do to calm ourselves down, but at the end of the day it was just a basketball game.”

The Bobcats might have felt the nerves, but they didn’t show them. The Bobcats opened up the game with a barrage of threes, knocking down three of their first five.

Despite the efficient shooting, Ohio couldn’t gain an edge. Ball State dominated with length to open up a 22-14 lead at the close of the first quarter.

The Cardinals continued that momentum in the second quarter, going on an extended 22-4 run to pull away early. They cruised to the locker room with a commanding 43-25 lead thanks in large part to their work on the glass. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Bobcats 27-10 in the first half.

Fifth-year senior Peyton Guice said it came down to hustle.

“They were able to get to a lot of the loose balls and offensive rebounds that should have been ours,” Guice said. “It sucks but you live and you learn.”

The third quarter proved to be a trouble spot for Ohio throughout the season; however, this third quarter was where the Bobcats played its best basketball.

The Bobcats were slashing through driving lanes on offense and shutting down passing lanes on the defensive end. The Bobcats outscored the Cardinals 17-11 in those 10 minutes and head coach Bob Boldon said it showed character in his team.

“It’s a lot harder than you think,” he said. “You miss shot after shot after shot, it can wear on you. … I thought they handled themselves with a lot of dignity and class.”

That short burst from the Bobcats cut the lead to 14 at the end of the third, but it was too big of a hole for them to climb out of.

Ball State turned it on in the fourth quarter, outsourcing Ohio by 10. Ball State coasted to a 77-53 victory to advance to the semi-finals of the MAC tournament.

“In the fourth quarter, Ball State was just flat out better than us,” Boldon said. “When that happens you tip your hat. It’s a little bit easier to swallow when you know you gave your best effort.”

Despite the loss, Ohio has a lot to look forward to. It will return a number of players in its young core that will contribute next season.

Tabeling said getting a taste of basketball in March leaves those players wanting more.

“Once you feel it, you kind of want to experience it again,” Tabeling said. “We know next year when we come to work, we need to get here again. But this time, we are going to try and beat Ball State, or whoever we play.”

Ball State advances to play the winner of No. 6 Northern Illinois and No. 3 Kent State on March 15.