After capping their best start in nearly a decade with a 30-point victory last week, the Ohio women's basketball team cannot wait to kick off the 2003-04 Mid-American Conference race.
The Bobcats (6-5) will get their chance tomorrow afternoon when they welcome upstart Marshall to The Convo.
Ohio enters with its best non-league start since the 1994-95 team that took home a piece of the MAC crown and earned an NCAA Tournament appearance.
I think our players are a lot more confident than they've ever been
but I also think we have it in perspective fifth-year Ohio coach Lynn Bria said.
This game marks the fourth time Ohio's seniors have entered conference play, but this season is a bit different.
I think this is the most confidence we've had since I've been here said forward Latreece Bagley, one of those seniors.
Bria said the early success is nice, but the conference will always be a challenge.
While a good non-conference season helps
I think you have to keep it in perspective because I don't think you can get too high or too low
she said.
The challenge begins with tomorrow's matinee against Marshall (9-3 overall, 1-1 MAC), a team on the rise. Royce Chadwick's Thundering Herd squad enters the contest with a conference-high nine wins, just three shy of Marshall's entire season win total last year.
They're much deeper than they were last year. They were a good team last year
and they're even better this year
Bria said.
Marshall's strength lies on the glass. The Thundering Herd are the conference's top rebounding team, and forward Catie Knable is the league's top rebounder, averaging more than 10 rebounds per game.
It's probably the key to this game
because I feel that whoever controls the rebounding
controls the tempo
Bria said. I don't know that we're going to take it away from them because they're such a good rebounding team
but we have to hinder it. We have to neutralize it.
Bagley said Marshall's run-and-gun style affords them the opportunity to control the glass.
They're an out-of-control team
