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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio women's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 MAC) fell to the Georgia Southern Eagles (1-0, 0-0 Sun Belt), 82-70, in its home opener on Monday, Nov. 4 in the Convocation Center for the MAC-SBC Challenge. 

Overall, the Bobcats shot 42 percent from the field and 40 percent from the arc. The Bobcats grabbed a total of 35 rebounds including 24 defensive rebounds. Ohio's defense forced 10 turnovers and scored 10 points off turnovers. 

 Individually, the Bobcats were led by senior Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) led in overall scoring of the game with a career-high 26 points, three rebounds and two steals. Sophomore Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) had 14 points, a career-high eight rebounds and three assists. Senior Kate Dennis (Rockford, Ill.) also contributed 10 points, two rebounds and 1 block. Graduate student Aliah McWhorter (Cincinnati, Ohio) and graduate student Anyssa Jones (Westerville, Ohio) both added eight points to the board.  

Georgia Southern won the tip and scored the first basket of the game, but Watkins quickly answered with a shot from the arc assisted by Tabeling. Ohio put pressure on Georgia Southern to stop scoring, snagging steals and blocking layups. A three-point jumper by Tabeling put Ohio ahead for the first time of the game. Watkins kept the Bobcats ahead with another three-point jumper assisted by Jones. Both teams traded baskets throughout most of the quarter, but Ohio held a three-point lead going into the next ten minutes of play.  

Watkins opened the second quarter with two driving layups to extend Ohio's lead. Dennis continued Ohio's hot scoring streak with a three-point jumper assisted by Jones. The Eagles would catch up in scoring, closing the gap to one point against the Bobcats. Both teams traded baskets and pressed each other on defense to keep the score gap to one point. With back-to-back layups and two made free throws, Georgia Southern got ahead of Ohio by six. Going into the locker room, the Eagles led 38-32.  

Tabeling opened scoring for the Bobcats in the second half with a three-point jumper assisted by sophomore Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.). Williams also scored a driving layup in the paint to help close the score gap against Georgia Southern to three points. The Eagles made back-to-back baskets to gain a nine-point lead, but a second chance jumper by Watkins and a driving layup from McWhorter helped keep the Bobcats in the game. Both teams would trade baskets once more, but the Eagles would gain another lead. Dennis and Jones would quickly respond with three-point baskets to keep the deficit close. The Eagles led only by three points going into the final ten minutes of play.  

Dennis made a three-point jumper off an opponent turnover to bring the Bobcats closer in score. Jones and Watkins also made three-point jumpers to stay close in score. Both teams traded baskets to keep the score balanced, but Georgia Southern would eventually get ahead by 10. The Bobcats pressed on defense to keep the Eagles from scoring, but they would ultimately fall 82-70. 

Ohio will be back in action at home in the Convocation Center on Nov. 10 against the Bellarmine Knights. The game can be viewed on ESPN+ and tip-off is set for 1 p.m. 
 
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