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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team were unable to pick up a victory on Saturday (Feb. 26), falling to Akron, 88-77. The Bobcats (14-12, 8-9) were paced by senior
Cece Hooks's season-high 35 points and a team-leading eight rebounds, but were unable to knock off third-place Akron (15-9, 12-6), just five days removed from an Ohio 69-66 victory on the road at Akron.
"We didn't shoot it as well from the three-point line," said head coach
Bob Boldon. "Just number wise. And defensively, we weren't able to get it done. I thought there were just too many breakdowns. … And that's frustrating at this time of the year."
It was Senior Day in the Convocation Center, as four players were recognized –
Hunter Rogan,
Kaylee Bambule,
Gabby Burris, and Hooks.
"They (the seniors) always show up," noted Boldon. "Even when the game was probably out of reach … they kept trying and Cece literally left it all out there. Didn't even have a foul left to give. Just a tremendous effort by them. And you know, what they've been through, from the time they got here … it's just been amazing what they've been able to accomplish year in and year out. … They're wonderful people and we're very proud to have them as alumni soon as they transition from members of the team to our alumni. Happy and very proud to have them as such."
The trio of
Erica Johnson, Burris and Hooks started the scoring for the Bobcats, scoring the first six points on three layups. Ohio took advantage of a quick 6-0 burst to make it a 13-10 contest at the first media timeout. Hooks scored 11 of Ohio's final 13 points of the frame, including all eight of Ohio's points after the media timeout and the Bobcats trailed by just two points after the first 10 minutes of action, 20-18.
Yaya Felder opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, handing Ohio their first lead of the contest, 21-20. The Bobcats opened up their largest lead of the game at the 6:19 mark of the quarter, taking a 28-24 lead on a Johnson three-pointer. Ohio held a 31-28 advantage at the second quarter media timeout, and eventually went into halftime with a 37-35 lead.
Hooks was Ohio's leading contributor after the first 20 minutes of play, pouring in 14 points and grabbing a team-high five rebounds. After shooting 47.1% (8 for 17) from the field in the first quarter, Ohio's offense picked up the production in the second frame and shot 63.6% (7 for 11) from the field.
Akron started the second half on a 7-1 run, establishing a 42-38 lead just under two minutes into the frame. The Zips continued to find success on offense, going up by as many as six points before the media timeout, 50-44 at the 5:20 mark. Hooks eclipsed the 20-point threshold on the day with just under two minutes remaining in the quarter to narrow the deficit to 56-49, and then promptly connected on a three-pointer on Ohio's next possession to make it a four-point game, 56-52. The two teams went into the final ten minutes of play with Akron leading, 58-53.
Akron went up by eight, 61-53, early in the 4th quarter off a three-pointer. The two teams traded scoring possessions over the next several minutes of play, and the Akron lead was only five, 70-65, at the final media timeout of the game. Hooks went over the 30-point mark out of the timeout, making it a one-possession contest. Akron was able to keep Ohio's offense at arm's length however, pushing their lead to as many as 10 points with less than three minutes to play, 79-69. Hooks recorded her season-best in points with a layup at the 1:11 mark, giving her 35 points on the day. Toledo was able to close out the game at the free throw line, claiming the 88-79 victory.
Up Next:
Ohio will finish their home schedule on Wednesday, March 2, as they take on rival Miami inside the Convocation Center. The game is scheduled to tip-off at 7 p.m., and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
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