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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (7-13, 4-6 MAC) will travel to Bowling Green (11-9, 5-5 MAC) for a midweek matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN
Heading into its matchup with Ohio, Bowling Green has a 11-9 overall and 5-5 conference record. Bowling Green averages 66.4 points per game; shooting 42.5 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the arc and 67.8 percent from the line. Bowling Green averages 35.1 rebounds, 14 assists and 6.7 steals per game. The Falcons have forced 13.4 turnovers per game and average 11.9 points off turnovers.
 
Opponents average 70.3 points per game; shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 34 percent from the arc and 76.2 percent from the line. Opponents average 36 rebounds, 14.2 assists and 6.3 steals per game. Opponents have forced Bowling Green to give up 15.2 turnovers per game and average 14.9 points off turnovers.
 
Amy Velasco leads the Falcons in scoring with 270 points. Erika Porter has grabbed a team-high 108 rebounds, Velasco leads the team with 94 assists and Lexi Fleming has a team-high 24 steals.
 
SCOUTING OHIO
The Bobcats are 7-13 overall and 4-6 in conference play heading into their game with Bowling Green. Ohio averages 63.3 points per game; shooting 38 percent from the field, 28.5 percent from the arc and 67.9 percent from the line. Ohio averages 31.8 rebounds, 11 assists and 11 steals per game. The Bobcats have forced 22.3 turnovers per game and average 19.9 points off turnovers.
 
Meanwhile, opponents average 72.1 points per game; shooting 42.8 percent from the field, 29.5 percent from the arc and 70.1 percent from the line. Opponents average 43.1 rebounds, 15.1 assists and 10.1 steals per game. Opponents have forced Ohio to give up 20.4 turnovers per game and have scored an average of 21.8 points off turnovers.
 
Monica Williams leads the Bobcats in scoring with 180 points. Madi Mace has grabbed a team-high 84 rebounds, Williams leads the team with 44 assists and Laylay Fantroy has a team-high 35 steals.
 
ALL TIME VS BOWLING GREEN
Heading into the matchup, Ohio trails 34-58 in its series with Bowling Green. The Bobcats have won seven of the last 10 meetings. Ohio is 21-22 at home and 13-33 on the road.
 
LAST TIME VS BOWLING GREEN
The two teams last met during the 2022-23 season. The Bobcats fell to the Falcons, 81-44.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Ohio women's basketball team (7-13, 4-6 MAC) fell at Ball State (20-2, 10-0 MAC) 97-66 on Saturday, Feb. 3.
 
In her first career start, freshman Laylay Fantroy (Palestine, Texas) led the team with a career-best 19 points; finishing on seven of her 12 field goal attempts. Fantroy also had a team-high seven rebounds, three assists along with two steals.
 
Freshman Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) and redshirt junior Madi Mace (Parkersburg, W. Va.) finished with double figure points, scoring 11 and 10 points respectively. Senior Peyton Guice (Westerville, Ohio) recorded a team-high three assists and freshman Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) tallied a team-high three steals.
 
Ohio encountered a talented Ball State team and were challenged by its high-pressure defense. The Cardinals maintained a lead throughout the entire game and outscored the Bobcats in every quarter except for the fourth. Ohio struggled with turnovers and rebounding. Ball State out rebounded the Bobcats, 38 to 26, and scored 42 points off turnovers.
 
Despite the tough competition, Ohio never gave up and continued to work hard throughout the entire game with only eight active players on the bench. As a team, the Bobcats shot 41.5 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the arc and 78.9 percent from the line.
 
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 ranks second on 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 173 points so far this season, ranks third on the team in scoring 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 (84/4.2 RPG) and has netted 109 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 20 games this season. Dennis has played 442 minutes for the Bobcats - averaging 22.1 minutes per game - tallied 115 points, 35 rebounds, 13 steals and seven blocks. She has only recorded 15 turnovers across 20 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 fourth in the MAC  and 24th in the NCAA for 3FG percentage (.430) and leads the conference with the top single-game performance for 3FGs made so far this season. Tabeling ranks second on the team for points with 174 total.
 
FRESHMEN 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 20 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 for majority of the season, she has a team-high 35 steals, ranks second in rebounds (68) and fifth in points (149). Fantroy is currently sixth in the MAC for steals per game, seventh for total steals and ranks second in the conference in game-high individual performances this season with her six steals at App State. Fantroy made her first career start and tallied a career-best 19 points at Ball State (2/3).
 
Williams ranks first on the team for points (180), third for rebounds (67) and first for assists (44). In Ohio's win over IUPUI, Williams tallied a career-high five assists. 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. In the team's win versus Miami, Williams matched her career best in steals with three total.
 
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. Since her return, Guice has played in 15 games, making nine starts.  Against NIU (1/10), Guice recorded a career-best six rebounds.
 
TEAM STATISTIC CATEGORY LEADERS (TOP 3)
Points: Monica Williams (180), Bailey Tabeling (174), Kennedi Watkins (173)
Rebounds: Madi Mace (84), Laylay Fantroy (68), Monica Williams (67)
Assists: Monica Williams (44), Jaya McClure (40), Madi Mace (33)
Blocks: Kennedi Watkins (11), Kate Dennis (7), Cassidy Lafler (5)
Steals: Laylay Fantroy (35), Bailey Tabeling (31), Madi Mace (29)
 
MAC WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STATISTIC LEADERS (Thru 2/5)
Team Rankings (Top 5):
3PT FGs Made - 2nd (143)
3PT FGs Made Per Game - 3rd (7.2)
Free Throws Made - 4th (248)
Turnover Margin - 4th (1.90)
Total Steals - 2nd (220)
Steals Per Game - 1st (11.00)
 
Individual Rankings (Top 10):
3PT Field Goal Percentage - Bailey Tabeling, 4th (.430)
3PT FGs Made Per Game - Bailey Tabeling, 5th (2.0)
Free Throws Made - Monica Williams, 10th (50)
Free Throw Percentage - Laylay Fantroy, 9th (.738); Monica Williams, 10th (.694)
Total Steals - Laylay Fantroy, 7th (35); Bailey Tabeling, 10th (31)
Steals Per Game - Laylay Fantroy, 6th (1.9); Bailey Tabeling, 10th (1.6)
 
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)
 
OHIO IN THE NCAA STATISTIC RANKINGS (Thru 2/4)
Team Rankings (Top 25):
Steals Per Game, 22nd
Turnovers Forced Per Game, 8th
 
Individual Rankings (Top 25):
3PT Field Goal Percentage - Bailey Tabeling, 24^th
UP NEXT
The Bobcats will return to the Convocation as they prepare to host Texas State for their second contest of MAC-SBC Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 10. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
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