KENT, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (10-5, 4-1 MAC) fell to Kent State (7-10, 2-4 MAC) 71-68 on Wednesday, Jan. 14.
 
Ohio shot 44.2 percent from the field, 31.0 percent from the arc and 72.2 percent from the line. The Bobcats recorded 24 rebounds, 11 assists, 13 steals and five blocks.
 
Redshirt sophomores Bella Ranallo (Lake Forest, Ill.) and Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the team with 12 points each. Ranallo shot 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-6 from the arc and 2-for-3 from the line. Williams shot 2-for-6 from the field, 1-for-4 from the arc and -for-9 from the line.
 
Junior Asiah Baxter (Indianapolis, Ind.) led the team in rebounding with seven boards. Junior Bailey Tabeling tallied a team-high five steals and four assists. Tabeling and junior Antonicia Moultrie (Nassau, Bahamas) led the team in blocks with two each.
 
Ohio kicked off the game with a solid first quarter. Shooting played in big part in the first 10 minutes of play. The Bobcats shot 69.2 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from the arc while Kent State shot 33.3 percent from both. Success from the three-point line helped Ohio earn a 25-18 lead over Kent State at the end of the first quarter.
 
Kent State significantly outscored Ohio in the second quarter, 21-11. The Golden Flashes took their first lead of the game, 28-27, with 6:54 left on the clock. Kent State extended its lead to eight points. Ohio battled back and cut Kent State's lead to three points. Heading into the locker room, Ohio trailed Kent State 39-36.
 
The final two quarters were close battles. The Bobcats outscored the Golden Flashes 21-20 in the third quarter while Kent State outscored Ohio 12-11 in the fourth. Ohio's main struggle was with rebounding. In the second half, Kent State outrebounded Ohio 24-13.
 
Despite their efforts, the Bobcats were unable comeback against the Golden Flashes. Kent State defeated Ohio 71-68.
 
The Bobcats will be back in action when they host Northern Illinois on Saturday, Jan. 17 in the Convocation Center. Saturday's game against Northern Illinois is 2000s Throwback Day. Fans can break out their favorite early 2000s fits, and the game atmosphere will feature music and graphics celebrating the decade of flip phones, pop hits, and Y2K nostalgia. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.
 
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