Dec. 9, 2010
Final Stats
ATHENS, Ohio - Tenishia Benson nearly picked up a triple-double with 16 points, nine rebounds, nine steals and five assists, tying the program's single-game record for thefts in the process, but Ohio fell at home Thursday evening to hot-shooting Wright State, 70-57.
The Bobcats' (2-6) defense nabbed 19 steals on the evening, notching the seventh-highest single-game total in school history, and forced 28 turnovers, but the visiting Raiders' hot shooting cost Ohio. WSU (4-3) shot 52.8 percent for the evening, including 10 treys for a nearly 42 percent clip from down town. The Raiders' bench also helped their cause, outscoring Ohio's reserves 34-11.
Benson's (Akron, Ohio) 16 points led the `Cats, while Ashley Fowler (Cincinnati, Ohio) added 14 points and a season-best five rebounds to go with three assists and two steals. Alesia Howard (Columbus, Ohio) chipped in nine points on a career-best 3-for-4 effort from behind the arc, and Carolyn Barnett (North Chicago, Ill.) added seven points off the bench. Benson's nine steals were also a career best, while her nine rebounds and five helpers were both season highs.
With the score knotted 12-12 early on, Wright State went on a 15-0 run to break the game open. Ohio went almost seven minutes without a field goal during the first-half drought.
Ohio managed to tighten things up defensively near the end of the first half and held the Raiders without a field goal from the 5:41 to 1:03 mark. However, the shots were not falling for the Green and White, as it connected on only 24.3 percent of its opportunities from the field in the half.
The Bobcats trailed by 13 at the break after Benson collected eight points, seven rebounds, four steals and two assists. Howard added six points while Barnett and Fowler had four apiece. LaShawna Thomas led Wright State with 10 points and Molly Fox added eight.
Trailing 39-26, Ohio battled back to cut the lead to eight on a layup by Fowler and a three-pointer by Howard, but could not continue the momentum and saw the deficit remain in double-figures for most of the second half.
Wright State took its largest lead of the night at 61-45, but a 12-2 run for the Bobcats cut it to six at 63-57. However, a three-pointer by Courtney Boyd from the left wing with 1:24 to go pushed the Raider lead back up to nine and sealed the evening's outcome.
The `Cats were solid offensively in the second half, connecting on 41.4 percent of their field goals and nine of their 12 free-throw attempts. Meanwhile, the Raiders shot 54.2 percent for the second half, finishing at 52.8 percent for the game.
Thomas led four Raiders in double digits with 19 points on the evening, while also adding six assists and four rebounds. Courtney Boyd tallied 18 points, including four treys, and Maria Bennett and Fox chipped in 13 and 12, respectively.
Ohio will return to the road this weekend as it heads to Fairfax, Va., to take on George Mason Sunday afternoon. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. in the Patriot Center.
