Sports
Ohio Drops its Third Consecutive Game Following Loss in Buffalo
By: John Jarosik
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It was another tough night for Ohio on Wednesday. The Bobcats (18-8, 9-6), who came in tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division, aimed for a tie-breaking victory in their last road game of the season, but came up short, losing 65-54 to Buffalo.
The Bobcats struggled to make shots with less than 55 points in 40 minutes. Senior guard Quiera Lampkins had another great game for the Bobcats as she registered her sixth double-double of the season, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
It was a hard-fought and close game throughout. The Bobcats trailed 18-16 at the end of the first quarter, 34-31 at halftime, and 46-42 after the third period. The game was definitely in reach for Ohio despite shooting just .308 from the field, .233 on threes, and not making it to the free throw line at all in the first half, thanks to Buffalo’s tough 2-3 zone defense.
They weren’t able to take control of the game when needed in the fourth quarter and blew it open against a Buffalo team (19-7, 9-6) Ohio beat 83-55 in January.
It looked as if the Bobcats would run away with the division and earn a first-round bye come conference tournament time earlier this season. The Bobcats are currently on a three-game losing skid at the wrong time of the year. They must win their last games and gain help if they want a top four conference seed and bye in the MAC Tournament come March.
The Bobcats aren’t getting much help from top MAC East Division teams as of now.
Kent State defeated Bowling Green 70-60 and increased its division lead for first place to two games. The Bobcats are third in MAC East Division standings with the Bulls holding the tiebreaker for second place following tonight’s loss at Buffalo.
The only good news for the Bobcats is that their final three games of the regular season will be at the Convocation Center.
Up next, the Bobcats take on rival Miami (OH) on Saturday, in what is the first of a three game-home stand. Tipoff is at 2 p.m.