FOLLOW OHIO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Behind a career-high 26 points from Gabby Burris, Ohio (13-10, 7-7) defeated Bowling Green (12-12, 7-8) on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 19), by a score of 82-69. Three other Bobcats scored in double figures to help Ohio pick up their third conference victory on the road this season, with Erica Johnson pouring in 17, Cece Hooks scoring 16, and Madi Mace rounding out the double-digit effort with 10 points of her own. 

"I thought the team showed a lot of resilience," said head coach Bob Boldon. "We got off to rough start defensively but the players did a good job making adjustments at halftime. I thought the quality of shot that Bowling Green got in the second half was an improvement by our team."

Burris secured a new career-high in scoring via 10 of 15 shooting overall, including 4 of 9 from beyond the arc. As a team, Ohio shot 29 of 51 (56.1%) from the field, and connected on 11 of 22 (50%) from deep. Johnson led the team in rebounds, grabbing eight, all on the defensive glass. Hooks finished with seven assists, her third highest total of the season. 

"Gabby was terrific from start to finish," added Boldon. "She was very patient and took what the defense gave her. Her teammates did a good job of finding her. And she did a good job of making shots."
 
It was a hot start for both offenses, with Bowling Green leading 15-14 at the first quarter media timeout. Both teams shot over 60% from the field in the first six minutes of play. The pace of play continued through the remainder of the frame, as the two teams combined to score 40 points in the first 10 minutes of action. Hooks, Burris, and Johnson each scored five points to pace the Bobcats, and Ohio trailed by only two, 21-19, heading into the second quarter. 
 
The Bobcats started the second quarter on a 9-2 run, opening up a 28-23 lead at the 6:43 mark. Bowling Green was able to stick with an efficient Ohio offense courtesy of five straight field goals made from beyond the arc. The Bobcats had the advantage at halftime however, taking a 43-40 lead into the locker room. 
 
Ohio shot 17 for 28 (60.7%) from the field in the first half, and Burris led the Ohio effort with 16 first-half points, followed by Johnson (11) and Hooks (9). The Bobcats defense forced nine turnovers, and turned those takeaways into 15 points. 
 
The Bobcats established a new largest lead in the 3rd quarter, going up by seven points, 53-46, with 5:24 left in the quarter. The scoreline stayed the same by the media timeout. Burris reached the 20-point mark out of the timeout, the third time she has reached that total so far this season. Yaya Felder converted on a driving layup to put Ohio up 57-46 with 3:34 left in the frame, Ohio's first double-digit lead in the afternoon. The Falcons cut the lead to nine after a three-pointer with 1:22 to play, but Johnson responded with back-to-back shots from deep to give Ohio a 66-51 lead heading into the final quarter. 
 
Burris opened up the scoring in the final frame, connecting on her third shot from deep. The three-pointer gave Burris 23 points, a season-high for the senior. Felder followed up with a three-pointer of her own just over a minute later to push the Bobcats' lead to 21, 72-51, and forcing a Bowling Green timeout. A jumper by Bowling Green out of the timeout ended Ohio's run at 12 unanswered points. The Falcons responded with a 6 point burst of their own, narrowing the Ohio lead to just 15, 72-57. Hooks connected on a layup to stop the Falcons run, and the score stayed at 74-57 at the final media timeout. Bowling Green was able to make an offensive push to close out the game, but Ohio had built a large enough lead to withstand the effort and pick up the eventual 82-69 victory. 

Up Next:

Ohio will have a quick turnaround, as they travel to play Akron on Monday, Feb. 21, in a rescheduled contest from earlier this season. The game will tip-off at 5 p.m., and will be broadcast on ESPN3. 

#OUohyeah