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Box Score (PDF)

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio (5-4, 3-3 MAC) women's basketball team fell to Ball State (5-5, 3-3 MAC) in overtime, 88-85, on Wednesday evening at the Convocation Center.

Redshirt junior guard Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio) made a three-point field goal with 13 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime. BSU took a three-point lead with three free throws with under a minute left, but Ohio was unable to tie the game. 

Ohio was led on offense by redshirt junior Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio), who had 20 points on 6-of-10 shooting, all from behind the three-point line. Kroll's 20 is her scoring-high at Ohio. Kroll added five steals and three rebounds.

Johnson had 18 points – all in the second half or overtime – on 6-of-20 shooting and 3-of-13 from behind the arc. Johnson had five assists and three rebounds in 37 minutes on the floor. 

"I think Erica (Johnson) showed a lot of resiliency and a lot of toughness," head coach Bob Boldon said. "She didn't score in the first half but she came out and made some big shots in the third quarter to get us going."

Senior guard Cece Hooks (Dayton, Ohio) posted 18 points on 7-of-17 shooting from the field. Hooks had eight rebounds, a season-high seven steals and six assists.

Both Hooks and Johnson and have scored in double-digits in every game this season.

Senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) tallied 15 points and seven rebounds during 42 minutes of play. Both redshirt freshman guard Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.) and redshirt junior guard Kaylee Bambule (Plainfield, Ill.) added six points, while redshirt sophomore guard Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) had two points.

Ohio shot 30-of-77 (39.0 percent) from the field and 13-of-45 (28.9 percent) from the three-point line. Ball State was 30-of-59 (50.8 percent) overall and 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from deep. OU was 12-of-16 (75.0 percent) from the free throw line while BSU was 23-of-32 (71.9 percent) from the charity stripe.

Ohio was outrebounded by Ball State, 51-31. Hooks' eight boards led Ohio, while Burris had seven and Mace posted five. 13 of Ohio's 31 boards came on the offensive end. 

OU forced 35 Ball State turnovers and recorded 20 steals. Hooks had seven steals, while Kroll posted five. Guice had four swipes.

The Bobcats assisted on 18 baskets with six helpers coming from Hooks and six from Guice.

Ohio will continue MAC play on Saturday at Central Michigan. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

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