DEKALB, Ill. – The Ohio women's basketball team (3-9, 1-1 MAC) earned its first conference victory of the season with a 71-55 win at Northern Illinois (7-6, 1-1 MAC) on Saturday, Jan. 4.
 
Sophomore Bailey Tabeling (Seymour, Ind.) was a major offensive force for Ohio, scoring a career-high 28 points for the Bobcats. Tabeling finished 11-for-23 from the field and 6-for-16 from the arc. Senior Kennedi Watkins (Ballwin, Mo.) also had an impressive 17 points for Ohio; shooting 8-for-15 from the field. Senior Kate Dennis (Rockford, Ill.) made a career-high four three-pointers and tallied a total of 14 points.
 
Tabeling also recorded team-high eight rebounds and led the team with a career-high four steals. Graduate student Aliah McWhorter (Cincinnati, Ohio) finished with a team-high four assists.
 
Ohio took control of the tempo right from the start of the game. The Bobcats found success beyond the arc, making four three-pointers including two from Dennis. A few breakdowns on defense gave NIU opportunities to cut Ohio's lead. At the end of the first quarter, Ohio led NIU 18-13.
 
The second quarter saw a bit of lull offensively from Ohio. NIU's defense prevented Ohio from finding successful shot opportunities. After a regroup, the Bobcats got back on track and extended their lead to 32-23 heading into the locker room.
 
At the half, both teams had recorded 22 rebounds each. Ohio also had seven assists and five steals.
 
NIU kicked off the third quarter with good energy, making two three-pointers right off the bat. Although the Bobcats were able to maintain their lead over the Huskies, a scoring drought and the inability to make important stops on defense threatened Ohio's lead several times. The Bobcats led the Huskies 49-43 heading into the final quarter of the game.
 
In the fourth quarter, the Bobcats were able to extend their lead with success on offense. Ohio went on to defeat NIU by 16 points, 77-51. The Bobcats outrebounded the Huskies 40 to 39 and finished with 14 assists and 10 steals.
 
The Bobcats will be back in action when they travel to Western Michigan for a game on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
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