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Box Score (PDF)

DEKALB, Ill. – Behind a career night from redshirt sophomore guard Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio), the Ohio women's basketball team (11-6, 4-2 MAC) took down NIU (5-12, 1-5 MAC), 85-79, on Wednesday evening at the NIU Convocation Center.

"Every win on the road just feels double nice," head coach Bob Boldon said. "There's nobody in this conference we look at and think, 'We're going to win that game.' I haven't looked at this conference like that in three years. There's just never a game you can think like that, because we could've easily lost tonight. I thought along with Erica (Johnson), our other kids shot it well too."

Johnson posted a career-best 32 points on 9-of-16 shooting. Johnson was 4-of-8 from the three-point line and 10-of-12 from the free-throw line. Johnson made her first 10 free-throws in a row. Johnson pulled down six rebounds and added four assists while going +5 in 36 minutes on the floor. Her previous career-high was 26, which was set in Ohio's win over NIU last season.

"I think what Erica deserves credit for the most is that she scored 32 points on 16 shots," Boldon added. "That to me is what really stands out about this, that is incredibly efficient. I think that is when we're at our best, we have kids playing within themselves and we're sharing the basketball and passing the basketball. She's the kind of player that when she gets into a certain rhythm, you have to ride it out. I give her teammates a lot of credit because they ride that too. It can be really easy as an 18-22 year old and think, 'Well it's my turn to shoot too.' Her teammates have always done a good job of riding these out with her, they create space and do what they can to help her."

Four Bobcats – Johnson, redshirt junior Katie Barker (Cary, Ill.), junior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) and senior guard Amani Burke (Columbus, Ohio) – all had double-figure points in the win. Barker was 5-of-8 from the three-point line for 15 points in her home state. Barker added one rebound and was +18 in 32 minutes on the floor. 

Burris posted 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting and knocked down four free throws while pulling down a game-high eight boards. Burke was 5-of-13 from the field and hit one from deep for 12 points. Burke recorded five rebounds and four assists.

Sophomore forward Edecia Beck (Grand Rapids, Mich.) had a season-high nine points and added three rebounds. Redshirt sophomore guard Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio) added five points, four rebounds and four assists in a start for Ohio.

Overall, Ohio shot 28-of-60 (46.7 percent) from the field and 10-of-26 (38.5 percent) from the three-point line. Ohio was 19-of-30 from the free-throw line. The Bobcats held NIU to 29-of-61 shooting (47.5 percent) and 15-of-30 (50.0 percent) from deep. The Huskies were 6-of-12 from the free-throw line.

The Bobcats were outrebounded by NIU, 37-35. Ohio pulled in 13 offensive rebounds. Burris led Ohio with eight rebounds while Johnson had six and Burke pulled in five boards. Kroll had four rebounds and Beck had three.

Ohio had assists on 11 baskets, with Burke and Johnson providing four helpers each.

OU forced 25 NIU turnovers and recorded nine steals. Kroll had four steals while Burris had two.

Ohio started up 9-2 early after a Johnson triple and two threes from Barker. NIU was able to chip away and tie the game up 16-16, but an and-one layup from Beck was able to regain Ohio the lead at the end of the quarter, 21-19. NIU tied the game in the second quarter with 9:00 left. Ohio took a 28-25 lead with a Burke triple with 6:03 left in the first half, which triggered a 9-0 run by OU. The Bobcats were able to get the lead up to 13 with a Kroll layup with 1:19 left in the half. NIU hit back-to-back buckets before Barker knocked down a triple at the buzzer to go up 44-32.

Ohio was 16-of-30 (53.3 percent) from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) from the three-point line. Johnson had 15 points at the break while Barker had nine points on three triples. Burke and Beck had seven each.

OU started the third quarter on a 5-0 run that pushed the lead to 17 points at 49-32 with 8:50 left in third quarter, which was Ohio's largest lead of the night. NIU chipped away at the Ohio advantage and hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left in the quarter to be down just five at 63-58. NIU outscored Ohio 26-19 in the quarter.

The Bobcats started the fourth quarter on a 4-0 run after a Johnson layup and two free throws. After an NIU three, Ohio went on a 4-0 run to go up 73-61 with 7:13 left. The Huskies were able to get the lead down to seven at 75-68 with 4:05 remaining and then to six with 2:14 left. Burris knocked down a pair of free throws extend the advantage to 78-70 with 1:47 remaining. NIU was able to get the advantage back down to five with 40 seconds left but Ohio knocked down free throws down the stretch to win, 85-79.

Ohio will return to action on Saturday, Jan. 25 against Bowling Green. Tip-off at the Convocation Center is set for 1 p.m. and is the first game of a men's and women's doubleheader. 

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