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ATHENS, Ohio – Storming back from trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, the Ohio Bobcats (10-5, 4-2) held on for a 68-66 victory over Buffalo (11-6, 5-2) on Monday evening (Jan. 24) inside the Convocation Center. 
 
"I've talked about this before … either you're tough enough to do it or you're not," said head coach Bob Boldon following the win. "These kids, there's something special about them. Buffalo's good. They're hard to beat, and when we start down 16, they're really hard to beat … to give up 25 points in the second half is really good."
 
Cece Hooks was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Bobcats, putting in a 20 point, 16 rebound effort while playing all 40 minutes. Erica Johnson also played every minute of the game, and scored 16 points after going 5 for 11 from beyond the arc. Kaylee Bambule joined the double-digit scoring effort with 15 total points, including back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter to give Ohio the lead for the first time all night.
 
Buffalo got off to a quick start on offense, missing just one of their first seven shots to jump out to a 13-0 lead with 6:07 remaining. Hooks got the Bobcats on the board with a fastbreak layup and a 6-0 run later in the quarter allowed Ohio to narrow their deficit to 19-11, before eventually closing out the frame down by only seven at 21-14. 
 
The Bulls opened up another double-digit lead in the early play of the second quarter, extending their advantage to their largest of the contest at 16 with 5:31 left to play before halftime. An 11-2 run by the Bobcats, highlighted by three-pointers by Johnson and Gabby Burris, brought Ohio within seven points at 36-29. Buffalo converted on a buzzer-beating jumper to go into the locker room for halftime with a 41-31 lead. 
 
Hooks logged her second consecutive double-double by grabbing her 10th rebound of the game less than 90 seconds into the second half. The Bobcats were able to string together a 10-2 burst within the first four minutes of play in the third quarter, cutting Buffalo's lead to only four points at 45-41. Ohio continued their strong offensive effort to close out the frame, heading into the fourth and final quarter down by a single point, 51-50. 
 
Bambule made her presence known in the fourth quarter as she hit two consecutive three-pointers to give Ohio their first lead of the game, 60-57, with 6:30 remaining in the contest. 
 
"My teammates believe in me, and they put so much trust in me," noted Bambule after the game. "They make sure I have a good mindset, so I credit them."
 
Ohio then extended their lead to as large as five, 64-59, on a Hooks floater at the 3:38 mark. Buffalo rallied back on their next few possessions, to make it a 64-63 ballgame with less than two minutes to play. Both defenses were able to stave off the opposing offenses, as the score stayed the same until a driving layup by Burris with 29 seconds remaining. Trips to the free throw line by Bambule and Johnson gave Ohio three crucial points that allowed the Bobcats to hold on for the 68-66 victory. 
 
Hooks' double-double was her sixth of the season, and her 16 rebounds marks a new career high. Additionally, her lone steal of the evening was enough to push her into the top-10 all time in NCAA history for steals.
 
Up Next:
 
Ohio will play their third game in five days on Wednesday night (Jan. 26). The Bobcats hit the road for their next contest, as they travel to take on red-hot Toledo. The Rockets have yet to lose a conference game through eight games, and sit alone atop the MAC standings. The game inside Savage Arena is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m.

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