ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (4-7, 1-0 MAC) heads to Kent State (7-4, 1-0 MAC) for its first conference road game on Saturday, Jan. 6. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING KENT STATE
Heading into its matchup with Ohio, Kent State has a 7-4 overall and 1-0 conference record. Kent State averages 72.9 points per game; shooting 41 percent from the field, 29.7 percent from the arc and 71.7 percent from the line. Kent State averages 42.1 rebounds, 15.7 assists and 8.6 steals per game. The Golden Flashes have forced 17.5 turnovers per game and average 16.5 points off turnovers.
 
Opponents average 60.8 points per game; shooting 36.2 percent from the field, 27.6 percent from the arc and 74.4 percent from the line. Opponents average 37.4 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 7.2 steals per game. Opponents have forced Kent State to give up 13.5 turnovers per game and have scored an average of 12.8 points off turnovers.
 
Katie Shumate leads the Golden Flashes with 131 points, 10 blocks, 17 steals and ranks second on the team for rebounds with 72 total. Jenna Batsch (119) and Corynne Hauser (112) have also netted more than 100 points so far this season. Hauser also leads the team in assists with 53 total. Bridget Dunn has grabbed a team-high 74 rebounds and averages 6.7 rebounds per game.
 
SCOUTING OHIO
After winning their MAC opener versus Akron, the Bobcats are 4-7 overall and 1-0 in conference play heading into their game at Kent State. Ohio averages 62.9 points per game; shooting 37.6 percent from the field, 29.1 percent from the arc and 63.9 percent from the line. Ohio averages 33.5 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 11.2 steals per game. The Bobcats have forced 23.5 turnovers per game and average 18.2 points off turnovers.
 
Meanwhile, opponents average 72.1 points per game; shooting 41.1 percent from the field, 27.7 percent from the arc and 68.9 percent from the line. Opponents average 45.5 rebounds, 13.9 assists and 10.5 steals per game. Opponents have forced Ohio to give up 22 turnovers per game and have scored an average of 23.1 points off turnovers.
 
Jaya McClure leads the Bobcats with 146 points and 36 assists. Kennedi Watkins is second on the team for points (99) and tied second for rebounds (41). Laylay Fantroy sits at first on the team for steals (18) and third for rebounds (39). Bailey Tabeling ranks third on the team for points (88) and tied third for steals (16). Madi Mace has consistently been Ohio's top performers in rebounds with a total of 53.
 
ALL TIME VS KENT STATE
Heading into the matchup, Ohio leads the series with Kent State 15-12. The Bobcats are 9-5 at home, 6-7 on the road and have won five of the last 10 meetings.
 
LAST TIME VS KENT STATE
The two teams last met during the 2022-23 season in Kent, Ohio. Kent State defeated the Bobcats with a 82-56 win.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In its Mid-American Conference opener, the Ohio women's basketball team (4-7, 1-0 MAC) outscored Akron (5-6, 0-1 MAC) 35-23 in the second half to take the lead and secure a 67-58 win in the Convocation Center on Wednesday night.
 
Ohio had a small shake-up in its lineup with senior guard Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) making her first start since the 2020-21 season. "When Payton is out on the court, vocally, the leadership and the presence that she brings, is camaraderie and gets everybody together," senior guard Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) said.
 
Watkins started the Bobcats off with a 5-0 run in the first 30 seconds of the game. The Bobcats' speed set the tone for the rest of the quarter as the two teams traded points until the buzzer sounded at 20-20. She co-led the Bobcats in scoring with a season-high 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting. Watkins also scored double-digit points for the sixth time this season. Her co-leader, freshman guard Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.), blazed a trail for the Bobcats in the third quarter with 11 points, nine of which were on 3-pointers. Tabeling currently leads the MAC in 3-point percentage with a 51.5%.
 
"We talked today at shoot-around and pregame that we no longer get to say that we're a young team. We played a full nonconference schedule, and we played an array of teams. We played some really good ones, we played some not so good ones, and we won some and lost some," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We've got plenty of experience at this point to move on from that baggage and just say now that we're college basketball players. I thought they did a great job of doing that and handled a good basketball team."
 
Akron threw Ohio for a loop in the second quarter. Ohio committed three turnovers during a scoring drought that lasted over four minutes, which gave its opponent the lead. However, Ohio took over after back-to-back 3-pointers from freshman guard Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) and junior guard Kate Dennis (Rockford, Ill.) Despite the small shift, Akron jogged to the locker room with a three-point lead at the half.
 
Three pointers were a common theme throughout the game. As a team, the Bobcats had their best team performance from beyond the arc since November. Tabeling's efforts were aided by Williams's two 3-pointers and one each from Dennis, senior guard Bengisu Alper (Istanbul, Turkey) and sophomore guard Jaya McClure (Louisville, Ky.) The Bobcats' offense held strong throughout the game. Williams co-led the team in rebounds with redshirt junior guard Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.), both tallying six each in the team win. Mace also had two steals.
 
"A lot of people do things so that other people can score, and sometimes it's just talent that scores, but a lot of times, especially in our offense, it's a combination of people working together and doing their job," Boldon said.
 
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 146 points in 10 games, ranks sixth in the MAC for points per game (14.6), ninth for points, eighth for assists and seventh for assists per game.
 
McClure leads the team with 36 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). She has tallied 99 points - the second best on the team - so far this season and has recorded six 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 9.9 points per game and 4.1 rebounds per game.
 
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 (53/4.8 RPG) and has netted 42 points (3.8 PPG). Mace reached 300 career rebounds after grabbing four versus Syracuse and is 15 points from reaching 500 career points.
 
DEPENDABLE KATE DENNIS
Junior Kate Dennis has remained a consistent player for Ohio, maintaining a spot in the starting lineup throughout all 111 games this season. Dennis has played 241 minutes for the Bobcats - averaging 21.9 minutes per game - tallied 69 points, 20 rebounds, nine steals and seven blocks. She has only recorded six turnovers across 11 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 first in the MAC for 3FG percentage (.525) 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 more than 20 minutes per game and Williams has earned a position in the starting lineup in all 10 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 is tied for third in rebounds (39) and has a team-high 18 steals. Fantroy is currently seventh in the MAC for steals per game and ranks ninth for total steals. She ranks second in the conference in game-high individual performances this season with her six steals at App State.
 
Williams ranks fourth on the team for rebounds (36) and is tied second for assists (19). 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.
 
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. The game was Guice's first time competing since the 2021-22 season. She played eight minutes, recording two points and two assists in the fourth quarter. 
 
TEAM STATISTIC CATEGORY LEADERS (TOP 3)
 
Points: Jaya McClure (146), Kennedi Watkins (99), Bailey Tabeling (88)
Rebounds: Madi Mace (53), Kennedi Watkins (41), Laylay Fantroy (39)
Assists: Jaya McClure (36), Madi Mace (19), Monica Williams (19), Bailey Tabeling (12)
Blocks: Kate Dennis (7), Kennedi Watkins (6), Cassidy Lafler (5)
Steals: Laylay Fantroy (18), Jaya McClure (17), Bengisu Alper (16), Bailey Tabeling (16)
 
MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTIC LEADERS (Thru 1/1)
Team Rankings (Top 5):
Total Steals - 2nd (123)
Steals Per Game - 2nd (11.18)
Turnover Margin - 4th (1.45)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
Total Points - Jaya McClure, 9th (146)
Points Per Game - Jaya McClure, 6th (14.6)
3PT Field Goal Percentage - Bailey Tabeling, 1st (.525)
3PT FGs Per Game - Bailey Tabeling, 8th (1.9)
Free Throws Made - Jaya McClure, 4th (43)
Total Assists - Jaya McClure, 8th (36)
Assists Per Game - Jaya McClure, 7th (3.6)
Total Steals - Laylay Fantroy, 9th (18)
Steals Per Game - Laylay Fantroy, 7th (1.8)
 
Game-High Stats (Top 3):
Team FT Percentage - 2nd (100%), Ohio at Ohio State (12/5/23)
Team Steals - 3rd (18), Ohio vs. Indiana State (12/17/23)
Individual 3PT FGs Made - Bailey Tabeling, 1st (7); Ohio vs. Syracuse (12/9/23)
Individual Assists - Jaya McClure, 1st (9); Ohio vs. Syracuse (12/9/23)
Individual Steals - Laylay Fantroy, 2nd (6); Ohio at App State (11/11/23)
Individual Blocks - Kate Dennis, 3rd (4); Ohio at App State (11/11/23)
 
UP NEXT
The Bobcats will be back in action when they host Northern Illinois in the Convocation Center on Wednesday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
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