Ohio will be missing its best defensive player, Jasmine Weatherspoon, in its game against Buffalo.
Ohio is ranked No. 23 in the latest RPI ratings.
As if the Bobcats needed any more validation, their team is good and that’s thanks to the leadership of third-year coach Bob Boldon.
When it has mattered most, Boldon has out-coached his opponents each time the game has gone down to the last seconds.
Against Central Michigan earlier in January and last week against Ball State, Boldon coached his team back into winning the game on the last possessions.
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“You really have to learn to stick to your principles and lean on each other,” Boldon said.
Ohio (17-3, 9-0 Mid-American Conference) will need to stick to its principles Wednesday when it faces Buffalo on the road.
Buffalo, theoretically, should be an easy opponent. It's 10-9 and on a five-game losing streak.
But Ohio is missing its best defensive player: Jasmine Weatherspoon.
Weatherspoon, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, injured her lower right leg in Saturday’s win against Ball State. She was in a boot at practice Monday, and Boldon said she most likely will sit out the game against Buffalo.
“Jas(mine) is tremendous defensively,” Boldon said. “That certainly is a concern on the defensive end.”
Losing Weatherspoon is not only a problem defensively, but also in terms of rebounds. Ohio is already toward the bottom of the MAC in rebounding and playing without Weatherspoon just adds to the problem.
But it also means other players have the chance to show their potential.
With Weatherspoon on the bench, that may force Boldon to go to smaller squad — something he hasn’t done since last season. He may look to move junior guard Quiera Lampkins down to more of the forward role and bring in freshman Dominique Doseck or junior Tmisht Stimson.
It isn’t the first time Boldon has been tested with the depth of the team, but he's appreciative of the various options.
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Boldon doesn’t plan on switching anything. It's just becoming a matter of changing personnel. Boldon has the players to do it, and it should be a relatively straight-forward game for Boldon and his team.
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