Story Courtesy of Ohio Athletic Communications

ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio women's basketball team (6-4, 0-0 MAC) defeated Wilberforce (2-8, 1-3 HBCUAC) 96-64 on Sunday, Dec. 28 in the Convocation Center.
 
The Bobcats shot 39.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from the arc and 75.0 percent from the line. Ohio finished with 47 rebounds, 20 assists, and four blocks. The Bobcats recorded 18 steals and forced Wilberforce to give up 28 turnovers.
 
Five Bobcats finished with double-figure points with sophomore Gigi Bower (Powell, Ohio) leading the team in scoring. Bower scored a season-high 19 points; finishing 7-for-12 from the field and 5-for-9 from the arc. Junior Antonicia Moultrie (Nassau, Bahamas) finished with 12 points while redshirt sophomore Bella Ranallo (Lake Forest, Ill.) and sophomore Danni Scully (Park Ridge, Ill.) scored 11 points each. Redshirt sophomore Monica Williams (Indianapolis, Ind.) rounded out Ohio's double-figure point scorers with 10 points.
 
Scully led the team in rebounding with a career-high eight boards. Freshman ReRe Jennings also recorded a career high in rebounds with a total of six boards. Jennings also distributed a career-high four assists.
 
Freshman Vivienne Macheck (Embrach, Zurich, Switzerland), Moultrie, Bower and Ranallo all finished with a team-high three steals. Macheck and Moultrie also led the team in blocks with two a piece.
 
It was a close first quarter between Ohio and Wilberforce. The Bobcats led the Bulldogs 7-2 with 8:20 left on the clock. Wilberforce challenged Ohio and closed in on the Bobcats' lead. Wilberforce's 6-0 scoring run cut Ohio's lead to 19-17 with 2:27 left in the quarter. After the first 10 minutes of play, Ohio only led Wilberforce 23-22.
 
Ohio kicked off the first minute of the second quarter with Bower's second three pointer of the game. The Bobcats outscored Wilberforce 18-11, but the Bulldogs outrebounded Ohio 27-24. Wilberforce took its first lead of the game, 33-31, with a made free throw at 4:05 left on the clock. Ohio retook the lead at 3:50 and finished the second quarter on a 10-0 scoring run. Heading into the locker room, the Bobcats led the Bulldogs 41-33.
 
Ohio's offense unleashed during the third quarter, outscoring Wilberforce 33-20. The Bobcats continued their scoring run into the third quarter with 14 unanswered points. Ohio led Wilberforce 55-33 with 7:28 left on the clock. The Bobcats dominated most of the third quarter with 14 fastbreak and nine second chance points. Defensively, Ohio forced six Wilberforce turnovers while only giving up one. At the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats led the Bulldogs 74-53.
 
Ohio's offense continued to perform well in the final 10 minutes of play. The Bobcats shot 50.0 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from the arc and 100.0 percent from the line. Wilberforce started with fourth quarter with five unanswered points, but the Bobcats responded with a scoring run of their own. With 5:34 left on the clock, Ohio led Wilberforce 81-58. The Bobcats continued to extend their lead throughout the rest of the fourth quarter. Ohio went on to defeat Wilberforce in a 96-64 decision.