ATHENS, Ohio- Five Bobcats scored in double digits to help the Ohio women?s basketball team to an 85-79 victory over Youngstown State, in the Beeghly Center. Freshman Simone Redd (Warrensville Hts.) led the team with 18 points, while senior Erin Isbell (Gahnna) pulled down a team leading 10 rebounds and matched a personal best five steals.

In a back and forth battle through much of the first half, the Bobcats took their first lead of the game with 2:44 remaining before the break. Ohio went on a 7-1 run to take the largest lead of the game, 43-37. The Penguins inched their way back bringing the score to within two points at the end of the first stanza.

At the break, Redd led the team in scoring with 12 points, five rebounds and three swipes. Megan Oriold (Berea) checked into the game midway through the half for the first time this season.

The Bobcats never looked back once they took the lead. Ohio opened up the game at the 15 minute mark, widening the margin to eight. First year Quintana Ward (Park Forest, Ill.) picked Youngstown States? Perugini?s pockets and dished the ball to Elizabeth Brown (Thermopolis, Wyo.) for the easy lay-up, to cap a 7-1 run.

Ohio led by as many as 12 three-quarters of the way through the second half, but Youngstown State wasn?t going to go out without a fight. The Penguins battled back, closing the gap to five, before late points by Ohio?s Redd, Ward and Kirkpatrick put the Bobcats on top for good, defeating the Youngstown Penguins,85-79.

This is the first time since Ohio was the MAC co-Champions, in the 1994-95 season, that the Bobcats have started out the season 2-0. Ohio matched the previous record, set in 1983, attempting 93 field goals and shattered the three-point field goal attempts mark of 30, set in 2002 versus Kent State, by putting up 39 shots from behind the arc. The Bobcats efforts on the boards fell just shy of the 1992 record of 62, as Ohio pulled down 61 rebounds.

Joining Redd in double digit scoring was, Kristian Kirkpatrick (Costa Mesa, Calif.) with 10, Brown with 12, freshman Lauren Revesz (Bridgeville, Pa.) chipped in 11 and Lindsay Wight (Waynesville) added 11. Isbell was the only player to pull down 10 plus boards. Kirkpatrick and Isbell each dished out three assists to lead the team. Ohio converted 26 Penguin turnovers into 23 points, and came up with 28 second chance points.

The Bobcats are on the road at Wright State, Sunday, Nov. 28, at 7 p.m., before returning home Dec. 1 for a 9 p.m. tip-off versus the Ohio State Buckeyes.