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Box Score (PDF)

ATHENS, Ohio -- Down by 11 points with less than three minutes to go, the Ohio women's basketball team (7-4, 5-3 MAC) battled back to defeat Buffalo (8-4, 5-2 MAC), 84-81, on Wednesday evening inside the Convocation Center. 

Redshirt junior Kaylee Bambule (Plainfield, Ill.) hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 12 seconds left to put Ohio up 82-81. Senior guard Cece Hooks (Dayton, Ohio) made a layup with two seconds left to seal the three-point victory for the Bobcats.

"I thought our kids did a great job of listening," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We talked a lot about what we wanted to do and they did a great job of executing. The team deserves a lot of credit for the execution. You can just go down the line of players contributing, and it just feels like one of the better team wins we've had in a while." 

Hooks led Ohio with a game-high 28 points on 10-of-19 shooting and 8-of-15 from the free-throw line. She added seven rebounds and two assists.

Redshirt junior Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio) knocked down four threes and tallied 18 points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) had 15 points on 3-of-6 shooting and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. Burris added eight boards and two assists in 38 minutes on the floor. Redshirt freshman guard Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.) had a career-high 13 points and was 3-of-5 from deep. 

Bambule's three was her only shot of the game, and she was +9 in just five minutes on the floor.

"It bothers her that she missed that shot against Ball State, and she said she wasn't going to miss another one," Boldon added. "It's one of those special moments where a kid can bounce back and make the next one. You feel happy not only for the team but also for Kaylee (Bambule). It was a big-time shot."

The Bobcats forced 23 turnovers and had 13 steals. Hooks led Ohio with six swipes, while Johnson had two.

Ohio started the fourth quarter up 56-54. Buffalo went on a 13-0 run to open the fourth frame, taking a 69-56 advantage. After trading buckets, OU was down 78-69 at the 2:19 mark. Johnson knocked down a three to cut the lead to eight, and Hooks made a layup after a UB turnover with 1:35 left to make the game 79-73. Buffalo made one free-throw, their last point of the game, with 1:04 remaining. A steal by redshirt junior guard Caitlyn Kroll (Bridgeport, Ohio) led to another Hooks layup with 46 seconds left. Mace knocked down two free throws after a Bambule steal to cut the lead to two, before Bambule hit the go-ahead three with 12 seconds left. 

"It was a fun thing to be a part of and this is a fun team to be a part of," Bambule said. "We're always there for each other and pick each other up no matter what. It doesn't matter how much you play. Everybody has each other's back and that was on display tonight."

The Bobcats will continue Mid-American Conference play on Saturday at Western Michigan. Tip-off is set for noon.

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