Sports
‘Cats Fail To Crash Boards, Fall To Rival Miami
By: Brad Friedman
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When Ohio (9-20, 4-13) last faced the Redhawks, five players crossed the double-digit point threshold, sinking buckets from all over the floor. Today, Miami’s 2-3 zone forced poor looks from all over the court.
Miami (8-21, 4-14) forced the Bobcats to shoot 35-percent from the field en route to a 68-63 victory on the final day of regular season play.
In categories other than shooting, Ohio pieced together one of its more efficient productive outings. Ohio’s 10 turnovers, 11 assists, 14 personal fouls and 12-of-13 performance from the charity stripe all bested season averages.
Unfortunately for the ‘Cats, Miami’s interior defense gave Ohio’s slashers no room to operate, disrupting all offensive flow. Guard Quiera Lampkins found some success down low, netting a team-high 17 points, but her teammates found little room down low. A congested paint area made 3-point shots the only other source for points.
Ohio launched a whopping 36 attempts from downtown to compensate, but only nine attempts found the bottom of the net. Mariah Byard and Kiyanna Black shot a combined 6-20 from beyond the arc.
As for the home squad, looks near the basket came in the form of one-on-one mismatches along the perimeter. Senior Hannah Robertson chalked up 18 points and four rebounds in her final home game. She found herself matched up against various Ohio guards throughout the game, but her quick first step created room to attack the hoop.
Two other Miami players recorded 10 points, but the glaring stat of the day came in the rebound column. Six different players recorded six boards, contributing to the 42-25 advantage on the glass.
Controlling the boards allowed the Redhawks to control the pace of the game and eventually come out with the victory.
The loss extends Ohio’s losing streak going into the Mid-American conference tournament. A first-round matchup on Monday in Toledo awaits the eleventh-seeded ‘Cats.