Dec. 4, 2008
Box Score
CLINTON, S.C. - The Ohio women's basketball team snapped a four-game skid in convincing fashion Thursday night, taking down Presbyterian College, 68-37. The 31-point win is the Bobcats' biggest since they defeated the same Blue Hose (2-5), 86-55, on Nov. 24, 2007, in the teams' only other meeting. The 37 points allowed were the fewest by Ohio since they held Ball State to 36 on March 4, 1995.
"We're excited to come out and get a big win like this," Ohio head coach Semeka Randall said.
Junior Jenny Poff (St. John's, Mich.) led the way for Ohio (2-4) with a game-high 16 points, including 3-of-5 from 3-point land, as the Bobcats shot 57.1 percent for the game (28-of-49), its best effort since a season-opening win at Navy on Nov. 14 (58.3 percent). Junior Jennifer Bushby (Gahanna, Ohio) was the only other Bobcat in double figures, as she contributed 13 points, while dishing out four assists. Freshman Danielle Woodmore (Louisville, Ky.) also handed out a career-best three helpers.
Ohio used its bench in the win, getting 17 points from its reserves, compared with just two for the Blue Hose. Sophomores Carolyn Barnett (North Chicago, Ill.) and Thia Gholson (Louisville, Ky.) each chipped in nine points off the pine, a career high for the latter, while freshman Da'Keisha Mann (Columbus, Ohio) scored her first points as a Bobcat on an old-fashioned 3-point play.
"Carolyn (Barnett) and Thia (Gholson) came in and gave us a big lift off the bench," Randall said. "This was a total team effort."
The 'Cats won the rebound battle, 34-15, including 12 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 13 second-chance points. Senior Chandra Myers (Sugarcreek, Ohio) and sophomore Kamille Buckner (Chicago, Ill.) paced Ohio with five boards apiece, while Buckner had three blocks, giving her 13 on the season.
After jumping out to a 13-6 lead, the Bobcats used a 14-4 run over a stretch of 8:21 to extend their lead to 17. Presbyterian sophomore Amanda Mills, who finished with 10 points, used a four-point play to stop the Ohio spurt, but the Blue Hose would not score again in the half, as back-to-back 3-pointers from Poff helped the 'Cats score the final eight points of the half for a 35-14 advantage heading into the break.
The 35 first-half points are a season-best for Ohio, while the 21-point halftime margin is Ohio's largest of the young season and its biggest since the 'Cats held a 42-20 edge over Akron on Feb. 20, 2008. Ohio shot 51.7 percent from the floor (15-of-29), while limiting the Blue Hose to just 31.5 percent, as they made just six first-half field goals. The Bobcats also outrebounded Presbyterian in the first frame, 16-6, including seven offensive rebounds.
The Green & White started the second half on a roll as well, scoring seven of the half's first eight points to stretch their lead to 27, at 42-15, and wouldn't look back. The Bobcat lead ballooned to 38 with 4:20 to play, before cruising to the 68-37 final.
Ohio shot 65.0 percent in the second half (13-of-20), its best shooting performance in a half this season, while knocking down both 3-point attempts. The Bobcats finished the game 6-of-11 from behind the arc, for 54.5 percent, while Presbyterian went just 1-of-15 from the same spot, for only 6.7 percent, including 0-for-10 in the second half.
Sophomore Katlin Moore led the Blue Hose with 14 points in the game on 6-of-20 shooting.
"This win will help build confidence going into Saturday," Randall said. "We will build from this, get better and be ready to go against Clemson."
The Bobcats look to win their second-straight game in the state of South Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 6, when they take on the Clemson Tigers. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
