Ohio’s fast paced offense leads to its second win of the season.
Ohio looked fast during its win on Monday over Wofford.
The Bobcats were so fast, they made the Terriers look slow.
“We have two very good point guards and you have to find ways to get them on the floor,” coach Bob Boldon said. “The one way to do that, is to let them use their athleticism and not be afraid to get them tired. Sometimes when you don’t have the depth we have, you worry about playing kids too many minutes and wearing out your best player.
I don’t think that suits this team, I think this team is very unselfish.”
During the preseason, redshirt junior guard Kat Yelle said the Bobcats wanted to play more up-tempo and it showed throughout Ohio’s 84-37 rout in The Convo.
At one point in the first half, sophomore guard Yamonie Jenkins pushed the ball down the court after a Wofford turnover and found junior Kiyanna Black on the elbow. Black then made a fadeaway, mid-range jumper with a defender in her face to extend a 20-5 first half run.
Multiple fastbreaks by the Bobcats (2-0) left the Terriers gassed at the other end of the court, where Boldon applied pressure with a zone, hybrid defense.
Wofford (0-2) struggled from the floor and made just 27 percent of its shots. The Bobcats tallied 12 steals and seven blocks, defensively.
“I think around this time last year, we were just figuring everything out,” Black said. “It was a new coaching staff and just trying to get to know each other and build trust. Now that we trust each other and are working together as a group … we’re that much more of a threat.”
Ohio’s depth showed as it received contributions from many players. Guards kept the mistakes to minimum, as Yelle only turned the ball over twice.
Black had 21 points and went 8 of 16 from the field, while sophomores Jasmine Weatherspoon had a career-high 10 points and Quiera Lampkins added 16 points.
Freshman forward Kelly Karlis made all three of her 3-point attempts, as Ohio has shot over 45 percent from the field in both games.
“I feel a lot of pressure (being the only freshman on the team),” Karlis said. “But I think the pressure kinda helps me, because it allows me not to think and just allows me to play, so I think it helps in a good way.”
Black said that the quick start to the season is unexpected, but the work the Bobcats put in over the offseason has paid off thus far.
“(The fast start) is just something that we have to appreciate and know that it’s not going to be like this every night, so we just have to learn to adjust.”
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