Jan. 29, 2011

Final Stats |  Quotes

ATHENS, Ohio - A late second-half run by the Ohio Bobcats (6-15, 2-6 MAC) wasn't enough to overcome dominance down low by the Northern Illinois Huskies (9-12, 3-5 MAC), as the Bobcats fell 56-48 to the  Huskies Saturday afternoon at the Convo.

An 11-3 run at the start of the second half helped Northern Illinois extend its lead to as many as 18 points with 11:20 remaining in the second half. While a 21-10 run helped Ohio swing the lead to just a seven-point margin late in the game, Ohio was unable to find an answer for the Huskies in the paint down the stretch.

Northern Illinois outscored Ohio 26-18 in the post and controlled Ohio's ability for second chance points by pulling down 32 defensive rebounds.

The Bobcats struggled from the floor, connecting on just 25 percent of their field goals in the first half, and finishing at 15-for-58 from the field on the game, including connections on just six of 24 shots from beyond the arc.

Tenishia Benson (Akron, Ohio) scored a team-high 17 points for Ohio. Benson, who has led the Bobcats in scoring 13 times this season, has scored in double-figures 28 times in her career. Benson also led Ohio with nine rebounds, including six on the defensive glass.

Sophomore guard Ashley Fowler (Cincinnati, Ohio) was the only other Bobcat in double figures in the scoring column, contributing 10 points in addition to five rebounds.

5'5 senior guard Marke Freeman led the Huskies with 23 points, while grabbing 17 rebounds, all on the defensive end.

Ohio takes to the road this week, facing The Ball State in Muncie at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Feb. 2.