The Bobcats defeated the Zips for the first time since 2012. Ohio holds a two-game lead in the Mid-American Conference.
During the first five minutes against Akron, Ohio looked like the best team in the Mid-American Conference.
Junior guard Kiyanna Black made three 3-pointers, sophomore guard Quiera Lampkins hustled for the ball and redshirt junior guard Kat Yelle pushed the Bobcats in transition.
About 15 minutes later, Ohio looked like a team barely scraping through MAC play.
After a 21-6 run to open a game dubbed as the “Battle for the MAC,” Ohio fell flat. Ball movement halted, the pace became sluggish and frustration brewed.
“Your obviously not going to hold them scoreless, they make tough shots. They have good players that make good shots,” coach Bob Boldon said of the visiting Zips.
Ohio eventually came back and regained control of the game to remain in first place with its 72-60 win. The Bobcats clinched a winning season with the victory and continued their best start since the 1994-95 season.
During the last 5:31 of the first half, Ohio was held scoreless and Akron’s Sina King, the MAC’s leading scorer, began working the Bobcats with her mid-range game.
Ohio junior forward Lexie Baldwin and sophomore Jasmine Weatherspoon were tasked with blanketing the senior forward, as King began attacking Ohio’s frontcourt.
Then Yelle suffered an eye injury and the momentum seemed to swing in the Zips’ favor, as Akron tied the game at 37 points apiece four minutes into the second half.
But the Bobcats were resilient.
After Yelle was ruled out for the rest of the game, sophomore guard Yamonie Jenkins came off the bench and helped clinch Ohio’s first win against Akron since 2012.
Jenkins, Lampkins and Weatherspoon began attacking the paint, drawing frequent fouls from Akron defenders. The Zips totaled 24 overall.
Jenkins went 3 for 5 from the free-throw line in the final three minutes to help secure the win for the Bobcats.
She finished with 10 points and three assists, while Lampkins added 18 points on 7 for 15 shooting and Black notched 15 points.
“We come out ready to play,” Jenkins said. “We know every game is a big game, so we come out ready to put that opponent away so we have a cushion to play with.”
The Bobcats had a tendency to relinquish early leads last year—and occasionally this season— but Jenkins said focus and attention to detail has been the difference between this season and Ohio’s 2013-14 campaign.
“(Letting go of the lead) is definitely something we need to work on, that’s what (Boldon) said coming into the locker room,” Lampkins said. “‘Like, ‘Why, why give up the lead?’ So that’s definitely something we have to work on as a team.”
Boldon, who has implemented a “focus for next-game” mentality, could finally admit something he couldn’t do two weeks ago after Wednesday’s game.
“Yeah, we’re a contender,” Boldon said. “We’re not good enough to win the tournament yet, but I think we are a contender.”
@Lukeoroark
Lr514812@ohio.edu
