As the clock ticked down and the points added up in Ohio’s 65-37 win over Chicago State on Saturday, it became harder and harder to believe that the Bobcats fell to the Cougars in last season’s matchup.
The Bobcats took control of the game early and headed into the halftime break leading 32-18.
Ohio’s Tenishia Benson and Porsha Harris were absent from the game because of illness, which set the offensive attack back a notch. Regardless, the Bobcats improvised and spread the wealth across the board. Four players went for double figures in the point column.
“It’s really good when your kids can step up despite those people being out,” coach Semeka Randall said.
“We’ve done a decent job of having chemistry off the court, and what we were lacking was the chemistry on the floor. We’re starting to see that now. We’re starting to see that players understand what people can do out there and they are putting their teammates in position to make plays.”
However, the first half was not pretty for the Bobcats. A handful of short jumpers and layups clanged off the iron for Ohio early on.
What the Bobcats lost in initial success, they gained in extra effort. Ohio converted 19 second-chance opportunities, opposed to the Cougars’ five.
A main component of the second-effort success could be attributed to the Bobcats’ tenacity in rebounding the basketball. Ohio outrebounded the Cougars by a 52-34 margin.
“I think one of the biggest things is that we are still missing two players who provide a lot of rebounding for us,” Randall said. “With the two of them together, they average about 20 points and rebounds, so the fact that we did it without them speaks volumes about our basketball team.”
If the Cougars were doing one thing right in the opening half, it was getting Janay Dockery the ball. The senior guard led all players with 10 points in the first half and finished with 15 overall — another game high.
The Bobcats emerged from the break much crisper and fundamentally sound, which led them to a quick 7-0 run, effectively ending any hopes at a Chicago State comeback.
Ball movement proved to be a key for the Bobcats throughout the contest, where cross-court motion caught the Cougars out of position in many cases.
“We want to try to utilize all of the scorers that we do have on this basketball team,” Randall said. “I think it becomes fun basketball when you are able to make good decisions and read what the defense is giving you and making those plays and finishing those plays by knocking down shots.”
Tina Fisher scored the most points for the Bobcats, going 4-9 from the floor for 12 points. Not far behind were Mariah Byard with 11 and Kat Yelle and Erin Bailes each with ten.
If not another Bobcat had put the ball through the basket, that dynamic foursome would have still knocked off the Chicago State squad that is still looking for its first win of the season.
They also accounted for 22 rebounds on the day.
Regardless of the success that the Bobcats have experienced without Benson and Harris in the lineup, their return will undoubtedly add a noteworthy punch.
“We always miss them,” Randall said. “This is an opportunity for us to get better, growing and growing. When we don’t have those two in there that play significant minutes, it makes a difference. On the flip-side of that, it’s really good when your kids can step up despite those people being out, being able to contribute to the team.”
Ohio will round out its ·four-game home stand Wednesday, when it will face UNC-Wilmington (1-3).
The Seahawks have taken some time away from competition since their first win of the season, a 64-53 win over East Carolina last Sunday.
“They are buying in and they enjoy playing out there on the floor and you can’t ask for anything more as a coach,” Randall said.
“We’re learning how to handle winning, as well. Again, it’s always going to be a work in progress, as I’ve told them again in the locker room, there’s still more things that we need to do to get better, because in the bigger picture, we want to do some pretty fun things here.”
