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Rufus (Ohio Mascot) hypes up children in the crowd at Education Game
Rufus hypes up children in the crowd at Education Game [Reece Merkel | WOUB Public Media]

Ohio Women’s Basketball outlasts Otterbein in Education Day Game

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — Ohio Women’s Basketball kicked off their week with the annual Rufus Field Trip Game against the Division III Otterbein Cardinals. Ohio hosted over a dozen elementary and middle schools across Southeast Ohio and beyond with free admission as part of greater Education Day activities. After a slow start, Ohio pulled through to take the contest 68-44.

The game offensively started out slow, with only three combined field goals being converted in the first three and a half minutes. Despite forcing turnovers, the Bobcats couldn’t make the threes they were hunting early in the first quarter. Otterbein capitalized early, giving Ohio a scare. A Kennedie Hill triple saw the Cardinals equalize at 9 before an Ann Waskiewicz fastbreak layup saw Otterbein take their first lead to end the first quarter.  

In the second quarter, Ohio started attacking the paint more aggressively. This, combined with ReRe Jennings breaking the Bobcats’ three-point drought, allowed them to reclaim the lead over the Cardinals. Jennings led Ohio going into the half in scoring with 7, while Ann Waskiewicz led Otterbein with 7 in the first two periods. Ohio led at half 24-18.   

To start the second half, the Cardinals proved once again that they weren’t just there to participate. Otterbein tied the game up early in the third quarter with a 10-4 run. But following that run, coming out of a Bob Boldon timeout, the Bobcats scored 14 unanswered for their biggest lead of the day to that point, coming off big buckets from Gigi Bower and Kamie Ellis, not to mention Danni Scully, who scored 10 by herself in that stretch.

Rufus (Ohio Mascot) hypes up children in the crowd at Education Game
Rufus hypes up children in the crowd at Education Game [Reece Merkel | WOUB Public Media]
Ohio kept that momentum going into the fourth quarter, putting Otterbein away to take the contest 68-44 in front of kids across Southeast Ohio. The game, however, meant much more than just the win and the scoreboard or scoresheet to coach Boldon and the players.

“All in all, I couldn’t be happier with the day,” coach Bob Boldon said post-game. “It’s so important for Southeast Ohio and Athens County, and it’s a day that is really important to me.”   

Danni Scully led Ohio in scoring with 13 points on the day while ReRe Jennings picked up a double-double with 10 points and rebounds each.  

After the win, the Bobcats start the year 2-0 for the first time since 2020. Ohio now shifts its focus to SEC opponent Georgia on Nov. 14 at 1 p.m.