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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (7-12, 4-5 MAC) fell 81-63 against Buffalo (11-8, 5-4 MAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 31. 

Overall, the Bobcats shot 28 percent from the field and 23 percent from the three-point arch. The Bobcats grabbed a total of 37 rebounds with 25 being defensive. Ohio's defense forced 18 turnovers and scored 24 points off them. 

Individually, the Bobcats were led by freshman Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) had 13 points, seven rebounds and 1 steal. Freshman Laylay Fantroy (Palestine, Texas) also had 13 points and four rebounds. Freshman Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) had 10 points, three rebounds and recorded two steals. Senior Bengisu Alper (Istanbul, Turkey) with nine points, seven rebounds and the only block for the Bobcats. 

A three-point jumper from junior guard Kate Dennis (Rockford, Ill.) and a driving layup from Alper gave Ohio an early lead in the quarter. The Bulls were lacking on defense, leaving shots wide open under the rim for the Bobcats. Alper continued to drive on offense with a thrilling three-point jumper off an opponent's turnover, furthering Ohio's lead. The Bulls began to climb back into the game, closing the gap to two with less than two minutes in the quarter. Buffalo pressed back on defense, not letting Ohio past the arc to score. Tabeling put Ohio back on the board with a three-point jumper. Ohio led by one going into the second quarter. 

Tabeling opened the quarter with a steal. The Bulls caught up in scoring and gained their first lead of the game, but Williams jumped back with a triple to give Ohio the lead. Ohio and Buffalo traded baskets throughout the majority of the quarter, keeping the deficit within three points. The Bulls were still pressing on defense, not allowing Ohio to shoot past the three-point arc. Buffalo also made an offensive comeback, taking a seven-point lead with 2:16 left in the half. A highlight of the quarter was a driving offensive layup made by redshirt junior Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.) assisted by senior Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio). The Bulls led at the half 35-31. 

At the beginning of the third quarter, both teams traded three-point jumpers and kept the score close. The Bulls then went on an offensive scoring streak, taking a 12-point lead going into the media timeout. The Bulls had a 25-point lead going into the final ten minutes of play. 

Entering the final quarter of the game, both teams would manage to keep each other off the board for the first minute and a half of play. Back-to-back three-point jumpers from Dennis and Tabeling ended the scoreless streak. A driving layup by Fantroy would cut the deficit to 17 for the Bobcats, forcing the Bulls to call a timeout. Freshman Asiah Baxter (Indianapolis, Ind.) made a driving layup with an assist from Mace. Baxter also went back-to-back at the foul line, giving her a total of four points. Fantroy had a highlight of the quarter with a steal and driving layup for Ohio. The Bobcats ultimately fell to the Bulls 81-63. 

??The Bobcats will travel to Muncie, Ind. to take on the Ball State Cardinals. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and is available to stream on ESPN+.

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