The Bobcats’ season now has an end-point in sight.
The Ohio University women’s basketball team blew out Fordham, 81-65, in a consolation game in the second round of the 2021 WNIT on Saturday afternoon at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte.
Ohio (15-9) will advance to its final game of the season, on Monday at 4 p.m. back in Charlotte, with a consolation bracket final against UMass (15-9). UMass knocked off Charlotte, 81-75, in Saturday’s other consolation game.
The Bobcats never trailed and raced out to a double-digit, first-quarter lead against the Rams (12-6), and then never gave it up. Ohio shot 53.4 percent overall (31 of 58), bagged 10 3-pointers and forced 15 turnovers.
It was a thorough start-to-finish performance for the ‘Cats. Ohio out produced Fordham, 34-10, in the paint and snapped a two-game slide in the process. OU improved to 5-4 all-time in the WNIT with the victory.
Kendell Heremaia flirted with a triple-double for Fordham, and finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Anna DeWolfe added 18 points, and Kaitlyn Downey chipped in 12 points.
But the Rams never drew closer than eight points in the third quarter after Ohio posted a 39-26 lead at halftime.
Honorable mention All-American guard Cece Hooks powered Ohio with 23 points, nine rebounded, four assists and four steals. Hooks hit 10 of 15 shots overall, and scored eight of the 10 points in a 10-0 finish to the third quarter after the Rams had cut the deficit to 54-46.
Ohio extended its lead out to 22 points, at 70-48, with just under six mintues to go before coasting to the finish.
Erica Johnson, after a tough shooting day on Friday, added 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting for OU. Gabby Burris also bagged 19 points, on 7-of-11 shooting, and Caitlyn Kroll snared a team-high 11 rebounds.
The ‘Cats used all 11 players available, and freshman Kendall Hale scored a career-high seven points in the fourth quarter.
Sam Breen had 25 points and nine rebounds for UMass in its win as the Minutewomen notched their first postseason win since 1995.
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