Ohio plays Wednesday on the road against Western Michigan, looking to improve its 10-2 overall record.
After beginning the first part of its season on a winning streak, Ohio’s hoping do the same to start Mid-American Conference play.
Following a 61-50 win over MAC opponent Buffalo on Saturday, Ohio play Western Michigan on the road Wednesday, attempting look to go 2-0 in conference play for the first time since January of 2002.
“It was a win, and anytime you can win a road game in the conference you have to be pretty happy about it,” coach Bob Boldon said. “I liked the way we finished. I wished we played that type of defense sooner, but I think defensively down the stretch we did a pretty nice job.”
Historically, Ohio (10-2) has fallen short in conference play. In the past decade, the Bobcats have gone just 60-103 when playing inside the MAC, and the last time Ohio posted a conference record above .500 was in 2008.
“It feels good to be 1-0 (in the conference), it will feel better to be 2-0,” Boldon said. “That’s the MAC, you play on every Wednesday and Saturday now for the rest of the year, so we gotta get back to campus and get back to work.”
Despite a quick 6-0 start to their season, Boldon and the Bobcats have slowed down their offensive production and seem more level-headed going into MAC play.
In the past six games, Ohio has averaged 65 points per bout and junior guard Kiyanna Black has lead the Bobcats in scoring with 16 points per game. In comparison, Ohio averaged 84 points per game in it’s first six matchups — including a 111-60 rout over Murray State in the season opener.
Earlier in the year, Boldon mentioned that the regular season is lengthy and that Ohio’s non-conference play means very little in comparison to its MAC record.
“I didn’t expect to start like this, but I’m not surprised because we’ve been putting in the work since the summer,” Black said after Ohio’s 84-37 win over Wofford. “It’s something we have to appreciate because we know it’s not going to be like this every night.”
For Western Michigan, the Bobcats will focus on ball management and cleaning up their second-half play in particular. Against Buffalo, Ohio shot just 29 percent in the second half and turned the ball over from perimeter pressure.
During a second half possession, redshirt junior guard Kat Yelle drove into the paint with her right hand, crossed over and then peeled back up to the top of the key with her left. When she turned her back to the basket, however, two Bulls defenders trapped and swiped the ball from her, igniting a fast break for Buffalo.
“We hung in there (against Buffalo), I just wished we did a better job taking care of the ball,” Boldon said.
Western Michigan (8-4, 1-0 MAC) is coming off a 67-61 win over Akron, which saw junior forward Miracle Woods score 17 points. Woods has been the Broncos leading scorer this season, posting 14 points per game in 11 contests. The Broncos average 63 points per game.
Forwards Lexie Baldwin and Jasmine Weatherspoon could be vital for the Bobcats, as the two help disguise Ohio’s lack of length. Baldwin grabbed nine rebounds in Ohio’s win over Buffalo while Weatherspoon notched seven including two on the offensive glass.
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