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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (3-5, 0-0 MAC) prevailed over Indiana State (4-5, 0-0 MVC) with a 65-62 victory on Sunday, Dec. 17 in the Convocation Center.
"We had a long week to prepare. We had more steals than we've had in a long time and this group just did a really good job of using that time we had to watch tape, go over offense and learn from it. I was really impressed with how well they did that and thank goodness because we had a hard time scoring. We needed a great defensive effort and we got it," head coach Bob Bolden said.
Ohio had three players finish with double-figure points in addition to freshman
Laylay Fantroy's (Palestine, Texas) first double-double of her career and first on the team this season. Fantroy concluded the game with 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds.
Sophomore
Jaya McClure (Louisville, Ky.) led all players in points with 21 total, one point off her career best. McClure scored 16 of her points in the second half, shot 43.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from the arc and 75 percent from the line.
"I knew I had to turn it up and get inside the paint because getting inside the paint creates more for the team. It makes the defense work more and get tired. I knew I had to flip a switch," McClure said.
After missing Ohio's previous game, junior
Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) made an impressive return for the Bobcats. Watkins finished the game with 15 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
The Bobcats' found a large amount of their success on defense. Ohio forced Indiana State to give up 27 turnovers, tallied 18 steals and scored 20 points off turnovers. Behind Fantroy, redshirt junior
Madi Mace had the second-best rebounding performance on the team with nine total.
"I think we were in the right places at the right times. We've been working hard on our defense, trying to put the pieces together and we showed it out there tonight," Fantroy said.
The first quarter got off to a slow start for Ohio, allowing Indiana State to score a few baskets and take a small lead. However, Ohio's hustle on defense changed the tempo and provided more opportunities on offense. Seniors
Bengisu Alper (Istanbul, Turkey) and
Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) earned two steals each. Watkins and Mace combined for six of Ohio's nine rebounds while Fantroy recorded two rebounds, a steal and a block in the first 10 minutes of play. The Bobcats led Indiana State, 17-13, heading into the second quarter of the game.
The matchup between the Bobcats and the Sycamores remained close throughout the second quarter. Ohio struggled to find success with its shooting but still had multiple players working hard and as a result were able to find opportunities in the paint. Fantroy grabbed four of Ohio's nine rebounds and led the team with six points. Freshman
Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) tallied an additional three rebounds.
Heading into the locker room, the Bobcats held a 32-31 lead over Indiana State.
Ohio maintained its lead over Indiana State with important contributions from several players, specifically the 11-point performance by McClure. The Bobcats scored eight points off turnovers and netted 12 of their points in the paint. McClure and Fantroy combined for five of Ohio's six steals and Mace grabbed four rebounds for the Bobcats. Ohio led Indiana State 52-46 as the two teams headed into the final quarter of the game.
With just over four minutes to go in the game, Indiana State had taken a 59-57 lead but Ohio answered back with layup from Fantroy to tie the game. The Bobcats were able to finish on several free throw opportunities that helped them secure the 65-62 victory over Indiana State.
The Bobcats will be back in action on Thursday, Dec. 21 as they travel to Indianapolis, Ind. for a non-conference matchup with Butler. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be streamed on YouTube.
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