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BUFFALO, N.Y. – Ohio was unable to wrap up their three-game road trip with a third consecutive victory on Wednesday night (Feb. 23), dropping their matchup against Buffalo by a score of 79-65. The Bobcats (14-11, 8-8) scored 26 points in the final quarter amidst a push to stage a comeback, but fell short against the Bulls (19-8, 13-4). Ohio was led by
Gabby Burris with 16 points, while both Burris and
Cece Hooks grabbed seven rebounds to lead the effort on the boards.
"I was proud of how hard our kids played tonight," said head coach
Bob Boldon following the game. "We were down a bunch and our players kept grinding and gave us a chance. Buffalo's a good team, we just weren't able to get enough stops early in the game. Offensively I thought we did a good job moving the ball, but we just didn't make enough shots. We'll be happy to get back on campus and get ready to play Akron on Saturday."
The Bulls got off to a quick start in the first quarter, taking a 14-5 lead into the media timeout and eventually ending the frame with a 25-11 lead after a buzzer beating layup to give Buffalo the 14-point advantage after 10 minutes of play.
Hooks got Ohio off to a better start in the second quarter, connecting on a three-pointer for the Bobcats' first basket of the stanza. Buffalo responded with a 7-0 run however, pushing their lead to their largest of the game so far (18) with 6:48 left in the half. Hooks ended the run with her second three-pointer of the game, swishing home the deep ball to make it a 32-17 contest. A
Madi Mace layup made the score 32-19 at the second quarter media timeout. The Bobcats were able to make it a 12-point game at 34-22, but a 7-0 run by Buffalo distanced the Bulls again and took a 43-25 lead heading into halftime.
Ohio was helped in the first half by shooting 50% (6 for 12) from beyond the arc, but an otherwise slow shooting start from the field limited the Bobcats' offense. Hooks led the team in scoring after the first 20 minutes of action with eight points, while Burris was the leader on the boards after grabbing six rebounds in the first half.
Burris became the first Bobcat in double-figures, hitting a baseline jumper to give the senior 10 points on the night, making it a 50-31 game with just over six minutes to play in the third quarter. The Bobcats made it a 52-37 deficit with 3:14 remaining in the quarter off of back-to-back layups by
Yaya Felder, but four straight free throws by Buffalo pushed their lead back to nearly 20 points as the frame neared a close. The Bobcats eventually entered the final 10 minutes of play trailing 61-39.
Kaylee Bambule started the final quarter with a three-pointer for the Bobcats, followed by a Mace layup, two Hooks' free throws, and a Hooks' layup off the seniors fifth steal of the evening. The 9-0 run made it a 61-48 margin with just under eight minutes to play and forced a Buffalo timeout. Another steal out of the timeout led to a layup by Mace and an 11-point deficit for the Bobcats. Ohio continued to trail by that much at the final media timeout of the game, 63-52, with 4:50 left on the game clock.
The Bobcats trailed by single-digits after a Felder layup with 4:17 to play and an
Erica Johnson three-pointer with 3:37 remaining, but the Bulls were able to respond both times to keep their lead at 10 points or more. Ohio continued their offensive surge, cutting it to a seven-point game, 67-60. The Bulls answered quickly with back-to-back three-pointers though, making it a 73-60 contest with two minutes left in the game. The two teams traded baskets for the remainder of the game, as the Bulls wrapped up the 79-65 win.
Up Next:
Ohio will return home for Senior Day on Saturday afternoon (Feb. 26). The Bobcats will welcome Akron into the Convocation Center for a game scheduled to tip-off at 1 p.m. Fans can also watch the broadcast on ESPN3.
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