ATHENS, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University women’s basketball team shut down the Ohio University offense on Wednesday night, rolling along to an 81-44 win in Mid-American Conference action at the Convocation Center.
The win was the 10th in a row for the Falcons (21-2, 10-1 MAC), who held the Bobcats to just 23.1% shooting on the night.
Jocelyn Tate had a stellar game at both ends of the court, with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six steals. Tate led all players in all three categories.
Elissa Brett had 17 points, hitting five three-point field goals in the win, while Nyla Hampton went 6-of-8 from the field en route to 16 points. Hampton had three steals as the Falcons recorded 15 as a team.
For the Bobcats (4-18, 2-9 MAC), Jaya McClure had 14 points off the bench. BGSU held Ohio’s Yaya Felder, who entered the night averaging 21 points per game, to eight points on 2-of-10 shooting.
The Falcons held a two-point lead after the first quarter, then proceeded to outscore the ‘Cats, 63-28, over the final three periods.
BGSU had a 27-12 scoring advantage in the second quarter. The Falcons made 10 field goals in that quarter alone, while holding Ohio to just 12 for the entire game.
After allowing 16 points in the first quarter and 12 in the second, BGSU surrendered just 11 in the third period and five in the fourth. The ‘Cats went just 1-of-15 from the field in the final 10 minutes.
The Falcons forced Ohio into 24 turnovers, including 11 in the first quarter alone. BGSU had 15 steals on the evening, with Sophie Dziekan and Kadie Hempfling getting two apiece. BGSU held a 34-10 lead in points off turnovers.
Ohio’s total of 44 points marked the fewest the Falcons have allowed to a MAC team in over seven years, since a 58-43 win at Northern Illinois on Jan. 20, 2016.
The Falcons’ 37-point margin of victory was BG’s largest against a MAC opponent since a 44-point win (82-38) over Kent State on Feb. 27, 2014, at the Stroh Center.
The 37-point margin of victory was BGSU’s sixth-largest on the road against a MAC opponent since the conference began sponsoring women’s basketball, and the fifth-largest in a MAC regular-season road game (one of the prior wins came in the league tournament).
For the Falcons, Wednesday’s game began a stretch of four road contests in a five-game span. BGSU returns to the road this weekend, facing Kent State on Saturday afternoon. That game is set for a 2 p.m. start at the M.A.C. Center.
Then, the Falcons will return home to meet Northern Illinois next Wednesday, Feb. 15, with tipoff set for 7 p.m. at the Stroh Center.
