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DEKALB, Ill. – The Ohio (3-1, 1-1 MAC) women's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack led by senior guard Cece Hooks to take down Northern Illinois (2-4, 0-2 MAC), 77-67, on Wednesday evening inside the NIU Convocation Center.
"I thought we did a better job of sharing the basketball today and our assists were up because of it," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We had almost six players in double figures and that is how we'd like to play."
Ohio – who was up two points at halftime – used a 27-point third quarter to push the Ohio lead to 60-50 at the end of the third quarter and ultimately win, 77-67. Hooks was 5-of-6 in the third period with 12 points, three rebounds and one assist.
The Bobcats were paced by Hooks (Dayton, Ohio), who posted 26 points on 11-of-22 shooting. Hooks knocked down two three-pointers and two from the free-throw line while adding seven rebounds and four assists. She is averaging 24.8 points per game this season and came into the game 15th in the nation in that category.
"Adding a three-point shot has changed her game and made it easier for her to score," Boldon added. It's less frustrating and more enjoyable for her to play. She's taken her game to another level."
The Bobcats had five players with double-digit scoring totals and one player – redshirt junior guard Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio) - had nine. Both redshirt junior guard Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio) and senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) posted 11 points. Johnson was 4-of-13 from the field while Burris was 4-of-10.
Sophomore Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) had a career-high 10 points after knocking down a career-best three from deep. Freshman guard Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.) also posted a career-high of 10 points, going 4-of-7 from the field and 2-of-3 from behind the arc.
"Both Madi (Mace) and Peyton (Guice) are getting comfortable in the offense," Boldon said. "I thought that those two stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity to make shots when they were presented. They – along with Caitlyn (Kroll) – were good defensively the entire game as well."
The Bobcats were 30-of-69 (43.5 percent) from the field and 9-of-30 (30.0 percent) from the three-point line. OU held NIU to 26-of-67 (38.8 percent) and 12-of-32 (37.5 percent) from deep. The Bobcats were 8-of-15 (53.5 percent) from the free-throw line, while NIU was 3-of-4 (75.0 percent).
Ohio forced 18 turnovers and had seven steals, with Guice leading the way with three. Mace had two swipes, while Johnson, Hooks and redshirt sophomore forward Abby Garnett (Golden, Colorado) had one. The Bobcats turned those turnovers into 19 points.
Ohio had 14 assists tonight, with Johnson recording a season-high seven helpers. Hooks had four, while Kroll, Guice, and Mace all had one.
The Bobcats were outrebounded by NIU, 48-35. Hooks had seven boards while Johnson and Mace each had six. Mace's six were a career-high, and three came on the offensive glass.
Ohio will continue non-conference play on Monday, Dec. 21 at West Virginia. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. Ohio's next Mid-American Conference contest is on Jan. 2 against Central Michigan at the Convocation Center.
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