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

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The eighth-seeded Ohio women's basketball team (15-14) opened play at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Tournament Wednesday morning, falling to top-seeded Toledo (26-4), 80-67, inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. 

"They're (Toledo) hard to guard," said head coach Bob Boldon post game. "I thought the quality of play was very good. By both teams. We played very hard and played very well. Looking back, they made some very timely shots and we had some good (defensive) possessions that finished with them scoring either an offensive stickback or a deep three or something like that. ... For a better part of the game, I thought it was a well played game. I thought both teams played hard and both teams did a lot of things well."
 
Overall, Ohio shot 36.8 percent from the field, 29.2 percent from three and were 10-of-18 from the line, while Toledo shot 48.3 percent from the field, 35 percent from three and were 15-of-21 from the line. Toledo outrebounded Ohio, 45-36 and dished out 17 assists to Ohio's four. 
 
Individually, redshirt junior forward Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio) led the Bobcats with 25 points, going 8-of-22 from the field and 4-of-12 from three. She also grabbed eight rebounds. Senior guard Cece Hooks (Dayton, Ohio) finished her incredible Ohio career with a double double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) added 13 points and five rebounds. 

"The journey here was great," said Hooks. "I was thankful for having Coach Bob, thankful for my teammates, like Erica (Johnson) said. I've played with her for eight plus years. Incredible to have her and everyone around me."
 
Hooks started the scoring for the Bobcats, connecting on a layup on the Bobcats' first possession, followed by two three-pointers by Johnson to give Ohio an 8-6 lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the first quarter. At the media timeout, the Bobcats held a 10-8 advantage. Toledo went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-12 lead with just over a minute remaining, but two free throws by Hooks made it a one-point game. The two teams traded three-pointers to end the frame, with Toledo holding a slim 18-17 lead. 
 
Both teams started fast in the second quarter, with 15 combined points being scored in the first three minutes of the frame, and Toledo opening up a 27-23 lead. The defensive effort ratcheted up in the next two minutes of action, with the score remaining the same at the media timeout. Johnson became the first player on either team to reach double-figures, converting two free throws out of the timeout. Johnson tied the game at 27 shortly after on a running layup with two and half minutes left in the half. Toledo eventually took a 34-32 lead into the halftime break. 
 
Ohio had two players in double figures in the first half, with Johnson being joined by Burris late in the second quarter when the senior forward connected on a three-pointer to reach 10 points in the first 20 minutes of play. As a team, the Bobcats shot 34.4% (11 of 32) from the field, and Ohio's defense limited Toledo to 23.1% (3 of 13) from beyond the arc.
 
Hooks promptly tied the game at 34 out of the halftime break, scoring on a contested layup before giving Ohio the lead 36-34 just over a minute later. After Toledo went on a mini run to gain a 38-36 lead, Johnson knocked down a contested three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to regain the lead. The back-and-forth affair continued into the media timeout, with Toledo opening up a slight gap, 47-42 with just under four minutes to play in the quarter. The Rockets continued their offensive surge, eventually making it a 15-5 run to grab their largest lead of the contest, 56-47, with 90 seconds to play in the quarter. Burris drilled a three-pointer at the end of the quarter to make it a 58-53 game with 10 minutes to play. 
 
Johnson made the first basket of the fourth quarter for Ohio, eclipsing the 20-point threshold for the game, and to draw Ohio within five points, 60-55. The Bobcats continued to stay in striking distance, as Hooks converted an old-fashioned three-point play to make it a 63-59 deficit with just over seven minutes to play. At the final media timeout of the game, the Rockets held on to a slim 65-59 lead. 
 
After the Bobcats were unable to capitalize after a turnover out of the timeout, Toledo took a 69-59 lead with 3:24 remaining in the game. Johnson was able to stop the Toledo run with a jumper however, Toledo responded to take a 73-61 lead with 2:10 remaining. After Ohio cut the UT lead to 74-63, Ohio was unable to catchup, ultimately falling, 80-67. 
 
For Toledo, Quinesha Lockett finished the game with 19 points and five rebounds, while Sophia Wiard added 19 points and nine rebounds. 
 
#OUohyeah