Sports
Ohio Women’s Basketball Wins Exhibition
By: Max McDulin
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The defending Mid-American Conference regular season conference champion Ohio Bobcats women’s basketball team came out with a win in their exhibition home opener Saturday against Thomas More College, 87-50, playing in front of a crowd of 3,391.
When it came to competition, the most exciting part of the game was by far the first quarter as Ohio led 24-20. The teams were going back and forth on the offensive side of the ball, and Ohio was easily finding makeable shots, but did not play well enough on defense to jump out to any sort of big early lead.
Jasmine Weatherspoon set the tone early, scoring 9 points in the opening quarter, and she went on to be the leading scorer for both teams with 21 points.
It was a balanced scoring attack brought from coach Bob Boldon’s squad, which is something the Bobcats will be hoping for more of this year as they are without last year’s leading scorer, Kiyanna Black, due to her graduation.
“Every coach hopes for a roster with different skills that you can develop, and not lose depth as you start to bring in the bench and you don’t lose quality minutes,” Boldon said.
Weatherspoon, Hannah Boesinger, Dominique Doseck, Yamonie Jenkins and Kelly Karlis all scored in double figures, and with none of those players on the court more than 26 minutes, Ohio was by far more efficient than the Thomas More Saints.
In fact, Abby Owings was the only Saint to score in double-figures, as she put up 15 points while playing a team high 31 minutes. The Saints are the defending Division III champions, but they will be looking for scoring from different sources since they are without Sydney Moss, who graduated last season.
Sydney, the daughter of former NFL wide-receiver Randy Moss, was a three-time unanimous Division III layer of the year award winner. The 50-point showing was not much of a surprise as the Saints try to figure out how to replace her scoring.
The Bobcats received their conference championship rings in a ceremony at the end of the game, and Boldon alluded earlier this week to how the successes of the past are what drive this year’s team to compete to accomplish even more this season.
There are few groups as tightly knit as this one, and the play on the court, and their attitude off it proves that. They play competitively, with incredible passion and effort, and when one of their teammates falls down the rest of the players on the floor are quick to pick their teammate up.
If there is one thing that became clear through this exhibition opener, it is that this team is deservedly the favorite for the MAC crown thanks to their balance on defense and offense and their incredible cohesiveness.
Ohio will open its regular season on the road against High Point on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 2 p.m.