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

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (6-11, 3-4 MAC) returns home to the Convocation Center for a conference matchup with Miami (4-13, 2-5 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING MIAMI
Heading into its matchup with Ohio, Miami has a 4-13 overall and 2-5 conference record. Miami averages 52.5 points per game; shooting 38.8 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from the arc and 68.7 percent from the line. Miami averages 31.6 rebounds, 11 assists and 8.1 steals per game. The Redhawks have forced 15.9 turnovers per game and average 12.7 points off turnovers.
 
Opponents average 66.9 points per game; shooting 41 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the arc and 68.3 percent from the line. Opponents average 37.4 rebounds, 14.8 assists and 10.5 steals per game. Opponents have forced Miami to give up 20.3 turnovers per game and average 17.6 points off turnovers.
 
Jadyn Scott (177), Amber Tretter (136) and Lakresha Edwards (102) are Miami's top three scorers so far this season. Tretter has a team-high 96 rebounds, Nuria Jurjo ranks first on the team with 40 assists and Cori Lard has a team-high 30 steals.
 
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats are 6-11 overall and 3-4 in conference play heading into their game versus Miami. Ohio averages 62.6 points per game; shooting 38.2 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from the arc and 65.9 percent from the line. Ohio averages 31.3 rebounds, 11 assists and 11.2 steals per game. The Bobcats have forced 22.9 turnovers per game and average 19.3 points off turnovers.
 
Meanwhile, opponents average 71.1 points per game; shooting 42.2 percent from the field, 29.4 percent from the arc and 69.2 percent from the line. Opponents average 44.1 rebounds, 14.9 assists and 9.8 steals per game. Opponents have forced Ohio to give up 20.3 turnovers per game and have scored an average of 20.4 points off turnovers.
 
Kennedi Watkins (173), Jaya McClure (151) and Monica Williams (146) are Ohio's top three scorers so far this season. Madi Mace has a team-high 75 rebounds, McClure leads the team with 40 assists and Laylay Fantroy ranks first on the team for steals with 28 total.
 
ALL TIME VS MIAMI
Heading into the matchup, Ohio trails 37-58 in its series with Miami. The Bobcats are 23-22 at home, 14-34 on the road and have won seven of the last 10 meetings.
 
LAST TIME VS MIAMI
The two teams last met during the 2022-23 season in the Convocation Center. The Bobcats fell to the Redhawks, 81-75.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio women's basketball team (6-11, 3-4 MAC) earned its first road win of the season with a 68-58 victory at Central Michigan (3-14, 1-6 MAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 24.
 
Ohio had multiple contributors all over the court today and finished the game with four players with double figure points. Freshman Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the team in scoring with 14 points. Junior Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) and freshman Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) netted 13 points each and freshman Laylay Fantroy (Palestine, Texas) added 12 points for the Bobcats.
 
Overall, Watkins finished four-for-five from the field, Tabeling finished five-for-nine while both Williams and Fantroy finished four-for-eight.
 
Senior Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) and Fantroy tallied four assists each, a new career best for the freshman. Guice also recorded a team-high and career-best five steals while three other Bobcats finished the game with three steals a piece.
 
Ohio got off to a slow start, allowing Central Michigan to get off to a 5-0 scoring run. The Bobcats were able to gain some momentum due to their success from the three-point line. Central Michigan held a 19-17 lead over Ohio heading into the second quarter of the game.
 
Ohio's overall performance improved despite a scrappy second quarter between the two teams. It was almost two minutes before one of the teams scored with a lot of fouls being called. The Bobcats' aggressive defense benefitted as they tied the game at 26-26 with 4:13 left in the second quarter. With just over two minutes to go, Ohio went up 29-26 and eventually led 31-28 as both teams headed into the locker room.
 
The Bobcats found most of their scoring success from the three-point line in the first half. As a team, Ohio shot 46.7 percent in the first two quarters with Tabeling leading the charge. Tabeling finished three-for-four from the arc and had nine points at halftime.
 
Guice and Fantroy finished the half with three steals a piece. Guice also dished out three assists in two quarters. Watkins led the team in rebounds at halftime with three total. 
 
It remained a close game in the third quarter. Ohio lost some of its momentum from the second quarter due to the team's struggles with rebounding. The Bobcats' offense was more focused on points in the paint, and they only shot three three-pointers the entirety of the third quarter. Ohio and Central Michigan were tied 50-50 heading into the final quarter of the game.
 
Composure and toughness were key for Ohio in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats recorded eight steals and forced 10 turnovers in the final 10 minutes of the game, denying Central Michigan the opportunity to go on any kind of scoring run. The Bobcats outscored the Chippewas 18-8 during the quarter with 12 points off turnovers.
 
Ohio outlasted Central Michigan, earning an important 68-58 road victory.
 
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 played started in nine of 12 games, amassing 151 points.
 
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 173 points so far this season and has recorded 10 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 10.8 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 (75/4.4 RPG) and has netted 82 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. Against Eastern Michigan, Mace recorded a career-best seven assists.
 
DEPENDABLE KATE DENNIS
Junior Kate Dennis has remained a consistent player for Ohio, maintaining a spot in the starting lineup throughout all 17 games this season. Dennis has played 367 minutes for the Bobcats - averaging 21.6 minutes per game - tallied 96 points, 26 rebounds, 11 steals and seven blocks. She has only recorded 11 turnovers across 17 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 third in the MAC for 3FG percentage (.463) 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 17 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 (51), fifth in points (105) and has a team-high 28 steals. Fantroy is currently sixth 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 (146), tied third for rebounds (53) and second for assists (34). In Ohio's win over IUPUI, Williams tallied career highs for assists (5) and steals (3). At Kent State, Williams recorded her first double-figure point game with a career-high 15 points. Against Eastern Michigan, she grabbed a career-best eight rebounds.
 
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 (173), Jaya McClure (151), Monica Williams (146)
Rebounds: Madi Mace (75), Kennedi Watkins (65), Bengisu Alper (53),
     Monica Williams (53)
Assists: Jaya McClure (40), Monica Williams (34), Madi Mace (29)
Blocks: Kennedi Watkins (11), Kate Dennis (7), Cassidy Lafler (5)
Steals: Laylay Fantroy (28), Madi Mace (25), Bailey Tabeling (24)
 
MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTIC LEADERS (Thru 1/26)
 
Team Rankings (Top 5):
3PT FGs Made - 5th (120)
3PT FGs Made Per Game - 5th (7.1)
Turnover Margin - 3rd (2.65)
Total Steals - 2nd (190)
Steals Per Game - 1st (11.18)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
3PT Field Goal Percentage - Bailey Tabeling, 3rd (.463)
3PT FGs Made Per Game - Bailey Tabeling, 7th (1.8)
Total Blocks - Kennedi Watkins, 10th (11)
Blocks Per Game - Kennedi Watkins, 10th (0.7)
Total Steals - Laylay Fantroy, 9th (28)
Steals Per Game - Laylay Fantroy, 6th (1.9)
 
Game-High Stats (Top 3):
Team Steals - 1st (20); Ohio at Central Michigan (1/24/24)
Individual 3PT FGs Made - Bailey Tabeling, 1st (7); 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 in the Convocation Center for a matchup with Buffalo on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
#OUohyeah