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ATHENS, Ohio — The Ohio women's basketball team (2-5, 0-0 MAC) fell to Butler (9-2, 0-0 Big East) 69-60 in The Convo on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 8). 

"I was proud of the way that our kids competed, perhaps a better start than we we had been last couple of games. I thought we did a good job responding to Butler's run in the third quarter, battling back and giving us a chance in the fourth quarter," head coach Bob Boldon said. "We had a few too many turnovers, and then obviously we need to do a better job of rebounding the basketball. But, I thought our effort on energy and our togetherness was really good."

Senior guard Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) led the Bobcats with a near career-high 23 points, which marks her third game this season with 20 or more points, and six rebounds. Senior guard Kate Dennis (Rockford, Ill.) followed with 12 points. 

Ohio stayed close to Butler throughout the first half and the defense pushed Butler to struggle at points. In the first quarter, Butler hit a drought and missed five straight shots. A quick 11-0 run from Ohio near the end of the quarter put Ohio ahead at the buzzer. 

However, the Bulldogs came back from the deficit in the second quarter. They snuck up on the Bobcats to eliminate their six-point lead. The Bulldogs tied the game twice in the fifth and fourth minutes of the quarter before ultimately building a five-point lead at the half. 

"As you go throughout the game, you get a little bit tired at the end, and it's a little bit harder to be a step over. And you don't think it's important in the moment until afterwards," Dennis said. 

The Bobcats caught a run in the third quarter to ultimately regain the lead on a 3-pointer by Dennis. A few added points from Sophomore Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) helped the Bobcats maintain a three point lead in the eighth minute of the fourth quarter. Tabeling ended the afternoon with 10 points. 

However, Butler broke into a quick run in the middle of the quarter that sealed Ohio's fate. An added six points on six-straight free throws put Butler ahead by nine at the final buzzer. 

Despite the loss, Ohio sees this game as a learning opportunity. 

"I'm actually really proud of our team, because I think we grew today as a team. We battled all four quarters. And for me, a win is a win, even though we did not win. I think that was a big team win, and that was a big confidence booster for everybody on our team," Watkins said.

The Bobcats finished the afternoon 22-for-49 from the field, 7-for-25 beyond the arc and 9-for-15 at the line. They also tallied 28 rebounds, with 21 of those being defensive. 

Ohio will be back in action on December 15 when it takes on Saint Louis. Tip off is set for 3 p.m. ET in St. Louis. The game can be viewed on ESPN+

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