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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (4-11, 1-4 MAC) returns home to the Convocation Center for a conference matchup with Eastern Michigan (5-10, 2-3 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN MICHIGAN
Heading into its matchup with Ohio, Eastern Michigan has a 5-10 overall and 2-3 conference record. Eastern Michigan averages 58.5 points per game; shooting 36.4 percent from the field, 25.7 percent from the arc and 69.8 percent from the line. Eastern Michigan averages 37.1 rebounds, 10.1 assists and 8.7 steals per game. The Eagles have forced 17.5 turnovers per game and average 12.3 points off turnovers.
 
Opponents average 66.1 points per game; shooting 40.3 percent from the field, 33 percent from the arc and 68.4 percent from the line. Opponents average 40 rebounds, 13.2 assists and 9.5 steals per game. Opponents have forced Eastern Michigan to give up 18.9 turnovers per game and average 16.9 points off turnovers.
 
Tayra Eke (158), Cali Denson (120), ZaNiya Nelson (117) and Olivia Smith (117) are Eastern Michigan's top scorers. Kennedi Myles has a team-high 128 rebounds and 28 steals. Smith leads the team with 29 assists and Eke has a team-high 36 blocks.
 
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats are 4-11 overall and 1-4 in conference play heading into their game at Eastern Michigan. Ohio averages 61.7 points per game; shooting 37.6 percent from the field, 27.6 percent from the arc and 65.3 percent from the line. Ohio averages 32.2 rebounds, 10.6 assists and 10.5 steals per game. The Bobcats have forced 22.1 turnovers per game and average 18.2 points off turnovers.
 
Meanwhile, opponents average 72.5 points per game; shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from the arc and 69.1 percent from the line. Opponents average 44.9 rebounds, 15.3 assists and 9.9 steals per game. Opponents have forced Ohio to give up 20.5 turnovers per game and have scored an average of 21.3 points off turnovers.
 
Kennedi Watkins (154), Jaya McClure (151) and Monica Williams (118) are Ohio's current top scorers. Madi Mace has a team-high 68 rebounds, McClure has a team-high 40 assists and Laylay Fantroy leads the team in steals with 22 total.
 
ALL TIME VS EASTERN MICHIGAN
Heading into the matchup, Ohio trails 12-14 in its series with Eastern Michigan. The Bobcats are 5-8 at home, 6-6 on the road and have won seven of the last 10 meetings.
 
LAST TIME VS EASTERN MICHIGAN
The two teams last met during the 2022-23 season in the Convocation Center. The Eagles claimed a 74-64 win over the Bobcats.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio women's basketball team (4-11, 1-4 MAC) fell 73-58 at Western Michigan (6-9, 1-4 MAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
 
Junior Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) earned her ninth double-figure point game of the season with a total of 18 points. Freshman LayLay Fantroy (Palestine, Texas) led the team with six rebounds and freshman Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished with a team-high four assists.
 
It was a close first quarter but a small scoring drought for Ohio allowed Western Michigan to earn a 17-14 lead heading into the second. At the end of the first 10 minutes, the Bobcats were outrebounding the Broncos 10-3.
 
Ohio and Western Michigan kept up the back-and-forth plays in the second quarter but two consecutive scoring plays by the Bobcats gave them a 34-30 lead heading into the locker room. At the half, Watkins led the team with 10 points.
 
Fantroy grabbed a team-high four rebounds while sophomore Jaya McClure (Louisville, Ky.) and Williams recorded two assists each.
 
The third quarter was a tough one for the Bobcats with Western Michigan finding a lot of success from the three-point line. The Broncos led the Bobcats 56-42 as the two teams headed into the final quarter of the game.
 
Western Michigan went on to win the game, 73-58.
 
THE JAYA MCCLURE SHOW: SEASON 2
After missing the first game of the season due to injury, McClure has returned to the court with a commanding presence and has acted as a major playmaker for the Bobcats. She has amassed 151 points in 12 games, ranks ninth in the MAC for points per game and eighth for assists per game.
 
McClure leads the team with 40 assists and has recorded seven double figure point games. She matched her season-best in points for the third time this season with 21 at Bellarmine (12/30). Against Syracuse (12/9), McClure recorded a career-best in rebounds (6), assists (9) and free throws made (7).
 
WATKINS MAKING HER MARK
Since arriving in Athens, junior Kennedi Watkins has made an immediate impact on the court for the Bobcats. Watkins surpassed the 500-point milestone after netting 10 points in Ohio's 67-61 win over Dayton (11/16). At Toledo, she tallied a career-best 21 points. Watkins has tallied a team-high 154 points so far this season and has recorded nine double-figure point games. Watkins' dynamic play and experience provides Ohio's young team with more veteran leadership.  The Ballwin, Mo. native is currently averaging 11 points, 4.1 rebounds per game and has tallied 11 blocks.
 
MACE'S COMEBACK STORY
After spending the 2022-23 season on the sidelines due to injury, redshirt junior Madi Mace has proved to be an important presence on the court for Ohio since the first game of this season. She ranks first on the team in rebounds (68/4.5 RPG) and has netted 69 points. Mace reached 300 career rebounds after grabbing four versus Syracuse and reached 500 career points after she netted a season-best 16 points at Kent State.
 
DEPENDABLE KATE DENNIS
Junior Kate Dennis has remained a consistent player for Ohio, maintaining a spot in the starting lineup throughout all 15 games this season. Dennis has played 329 minutes for the Bobcats - averaging 21.9 minutes per game - tallied 90 points, 25 rebounds, 10 steals and seven blocks. She has only recorded seven turnovers across 15 games, averaging less than one turnover per game.
 
TABELING FOR THREE
Freshman Bailey Tabeling has emerged as one of Ohio's best shooters, specifically from the third-point line. Against Syracuse (12/9/23), Tabeling led both teams with 23 points; shooting 80 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the arc. Tabeling's performance beyond the arc was one of the best by an Ohio freshman and she is the first Bobcat to record seven or more three-pointers in a single game since Amani Burke in 2018-19. The freshman ranks sixth in the MAC for 3FG percentage (.429) and leads the conference with the top single-game performance for 3FGs made so far this season.
 
MAKING AN IMPACT: LAYLAY FANTROY & MONICA WILLIAMS
With more than half of the active players being underclassmen - including five freshmen - Ohio has one of the youngest teams in the league. Newcomers, Monica Williams and Laylay Fantroy, average 20 or more minutes per game and Williams has earned a position in the starting lineup in all 15 games this season.
 
Fantroy recorded her first career double-double and is Ohio's first player to do so this season. Coming off the bench, she ranks fourth in rebounds (46) and has a team-high 22 steals. Fantroy is currently 10th in the MAC for steals per game and ranks second in the conference in game-high individual performances this season with her six steals at App State.
 
Williams ranks third on the team in points (118), fifth for rebounds (44) and second for assists (29). In Ohio's win over IUPUI, Williams tallied career highs for rebounds (6), assists (5) and steals (3). She matched her career high in rebounds in Ohio's conference opener and win versus Akron. At Kent State, Williams recorded her first double-figure point game with a career-high 15 points.
 
WELCOME BACK, PEYTON GUICE
After spending almost two years on the bench with major injuries, senior Peyton Guice returned to the court during Ohio's game at Ohio State. Since then, Guice has started in three games. Through eight games, she has tallied 17 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals. Against NIU (1/10), Guice recorded a career-best six rebounds.
 
TEAM STATISTIC CATEGORY LEADERS (TOP 3)
 
Points: Kennedi Watkins (154), Jaya McClure (151), Monica Williams (118)
Rebounds: Madi Mace (68), Kennedi Watkins (58), Bengisu Alper (49)
Assists: Jaya McClure (40), Monica Williams (29), Madi Mace (21)
Blocks: Kennedi Watkins (11), Kate Dennis (7), Cassidy Lafler (5)
Steals: Laylay Fantroy (22), Bailey Tabeling (21), Madi Mace (20)
 
MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTIC LEADERS (Thru 1/18)
Team Rankings (Top 5):
Total Steals - 2nd (157)
Steals Per Game - 2nd (10.47)
Turnover Margin - 4th (1.53)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
Points Per Game - Jaya McClure, 9th (12.6)
3PT Field Goal Percentage - Bailey Tabeling, 6th (.429)
Free Throws Made - Jaya McClure, 8th (44)
Assists Per Game - Jaya McClure, 8th (3.3)
Total Blocks - Kennedi Watkins, 9th (11)
Blocks Per Game - Kennedi Watkins, 9th (0.8)
Steals Per Game - Laylay Fantroy, 10th (1.7)
 
Game-High Stats (Top 3):
Individual 3PT FGs Made - Bailey Tabeling, 1st (7); Ohio vs. Syracuse (12/9/23)
Individual Assists - Jaya McClure, 3rd (9); Ohio vs. Syracuse (12/9/23)
Individual Steals - Laylay Fantroy, 2nd (6); Ohio at App State (11/11/23)
 
UP NEXT
The Bobcats will be back in action at Central Michigan on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
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