Womens Basketball: Bobcats prep for season with new coaches, promising players

Ohio is set to begin its season Thursday in an exhibition game against Wheeling Jesuit at The Convo, where it will be tested for the first time without former first team all-Mid American Conference guard Tenishia Benson.

Benson was the leader of last year’s squad, as she averaged 14.5 points and grabbed seven rebounds per game. Ohio coach Semeka Randall is hoping that the whole team can come together to collectively fill the void Benson left behind.

“I’m not really looking for one particular player, but for our whole team to come together,” Randall said. “I think if we do it as a collective group, we’ll be able to match that 15 points and seven rebounds she had for us.”

Junior guard Shavon Robinson, Ohio’s second-leading scorer in 2011-12, recognizes that she will be tasked with bridging the gap — especially on the defensive end of the court.

“I have confidence in my rebounding game,” Robinson said. “I was kind of complacent last year with that area because I knew (Tenishia) would come out of nowhere and get a rebound.”

Ohio senior guard Ashley Fowler has stepped up as a leader in the preseason for the Bobcats, making her presence and initiative known, Randall said.

“Ashely Fowler’s leadership has been great,” she said. “I plan on trying to keep her going in the right direction. She realizes that this is her senior year and she wants to leave everything out on the court. I respect her for wanting to do that.”

Fowler will be focusing on her team’s play and offensive ball movement in Thursday’s exhibition.

“We need to just take care of us, and see where we are against another opponent and try to work on pushing the ball on offense,” she said.

The exhibition game against the Cardinals should be a tune-up game for the Bobcats — one that will improve on the headway the Bobcats have made during the offseason.

 

Robinson said she’s pleased with the way the preseason has gone for the Bobcats, especially compared to past seasons.

“We kind of adjusted this season in the preseason because of the way the other seasons went,” said Robinson. “We are basically really trying to buy in this year on what coach Randall is telling us to do.”

 

Randall said the new members of Ohio’s coaching staff — assistant coaches Patricia Charity, Elaine Powell and Jeffrey Marshall have made strong contributions to the Bobcats.

 

“(The coaching addition has) been fantastic,” Randall said. “Our coaches provide a lot of energy, but yet they provide a lot of experience. It’s been really fun because our kids have been in to watch the film, our kids have been getting extra shots up, so they’ve bought into it.”

 

The Bobcats, who finished 14-18 overall in 2011-12, were picked to finish fourth in the MAC East this year.

 

“Our overall goal as a team would just mainly be to have a winning season,” Robinson said. “And at the same time have fun so we can help our seniors go out with a bang.”

jm296009@ohiou.edu