BGSU women’s basketball (10-8, 3-4) fell to the Ohio Bobcats (12-5, 6-1) 82-57 at the Stroh Center Wednesday night, driven by the Bobcats’ high-octane shooting performance.
OU redshirt sophomore Bella Ranallo and junior guard Bailey Tabeling led the explosive offense, scoring 26 and 20 points, respectively.
“You know, we’re going to regroup,” said head coach Fred Chmiel. “I think, without making excuses, we might have had a little Miami (OH) letdown. I think that one hurt a little bit, but no excuses. We have to be ready to play.”
Junior guard Paige Kohler scored BG’s first two baskets of the game with two 3-pointers, while also making history at Bowling Green State University, surpassing 1,000 career points.
Both teams began the contest shooting efficiently, but Ohio, the second-best scoring team this season in the Mid-American Conference (MAC), displayed its dominance midway through the first period. The Bobcats led the Falcons 15-8 after reaching the first break of action, shooting 66.7% from the field.
Ranallo led both teams in scoring at the end of the first period with eight points by going 3-for-6 from the floor and an impressive 2-3 from deep, fueling Ohio to a 23-16 advantage.
After a fluid shooting percentage in the first quarter, the Orange and Brown found themselves in yet another shooting slump as the second quarter got underway, with the Falcons shooting a poor 12.5% from the hardwood halfway through the second quarter. Turnovers continued to haunt Bowling Green on the offensive end after collecting 12 total miscues well before halftime.
With BGSU’s shooting woes in mind, it only galvanized an already prolific Bobcat scoring unit to put themselves well ahead in the waning minutes of the first half. Ohio proceeded with their sharp shooting from range, connecting well over 50% from distance, and leading Bowling Green 46-23 at halftime.
Ranallo’s brilliance on offense rolled along throughout the beginning stages of the third quarter, reaching 20 points, not even five minutes after intermission. At that point in the game, she was 6-of-7 from three, leading the Bobcats to a 60-30 lead.
The Falcons persisted in turning the ball over in the second half, quickly totaling 17 giveaways after reaching the third media timeout of the contest.
At the conclusion of the third quarter, Ohio had two players in double figures: Ranallo with 20 points and Tabeling with 14 points. Meanwhile, BG had yet to have one player reach over 10 points entering the fourth quarter, with the Bobcats leading the Falcons 66-42.
The fourth quarter was a mirror of the entire game, as OU continued to out-physical the Falcons, and captialzed off Bowling Green’s turnovers.
On top of scoring at a prolific rate, Ranallo and Tabeling each affected the game in other ways.
Ranallo collected four steals, while Tabeling grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists.
As for Bowling Green, sophomore forward Lauren Gerken and freshman guard Ky’Aira Miller led the Falcons with 10 points each.
Despite Bowling Green’s turnover issues mounting in the fourth quarter, Ohio struggled to take care of the basketball as well, and surpassed BGSU in total turnovers committed with 25. However, the Bobcats were more economical off the Falcons’ turnovers by scoring 33 points from BGSU’s giveaways, as Bowling Green scored only 26 points off Ohio’s miscues.
“We’re going to watch a lot of film and work a lot on our communication,” said Chmiel. “Then, we’re going to get back on the horse and get ready for a really good UMass team.”
The Orange and Brown can only look forward to their next game against Massachusetts on Sunday after falling to Ohio 82-57 as they continue their quest in MAC play.
Falcon Media Sports Network’s Lucas Kleimeyer will be on the call for the UMass contest, beginning at 4 p.m. on WBGU 88.1 FM.
