ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio used a strong shooting effort in the first half to build an early lead as the Bobcats spoiled UNCW's road opener by defeating the Seahawks, 95-72, inside the Convocation Center on Sunday afternoon.
The Bobcats opened their regular season with Sunday's victory while the Seahawks (1-1) suffered their first loss of the young season.
Sophomore forward Gabby Burris paced five Ohio players in double figures with a career-high 23 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field, including a 3-for-6 showing from long range. Junior guard Amani Burke chipped in 20 points while senior guard Dominique Doseck and sophomore guard Cece Hooks added 17 points and 16 points, respectively.
Redshirt freshman guard Erica Johnson came off the bench to add 11 points for the Bobcats, who shot 56.1 percent from the field and made 21-of-27 free throws.
UNCW was led by redshirt senior guard
Shrita Parker's career-high 25 point performance. The Virginia Beach, Va., native converted 11-of-17 field goal attempts and contributed four assists.
Redshirt junior guard
GiGi Smith tallied 14 points, including eight markers in the third quarter, while junior guard
Timber Tate came off the bench to chip in 11 points.
Key Moment: Ohio made its first seven shots from the floor during the first five minutes of the game to build a 20-11 lead the Bobcats did not relinquish. Burris netted eight of her points during the early spurt.
Up Next: The Seahawks open a two-game homestand on Wednesday, Nov. 14, with an 11:30 a.m. "Seahawks Tomorrow" contest against Presbyterian.
