Bob Boldon didn't know how he wanted his lineup to go Saturday. He knew his whole team would play, but in terms of starting the game, he was clueless.
Against Thomas More, it didn't matter as the Bobcats thumped the Saints 87-50 in The Convo.
This was the first time Taylor Agler played for Ohio as she had to sit out last season after transferring from Indiana. Though her and Yamonie Jenkins complemented each other well in the rotation, it was Jasmine Weatherspoon that carried Ohio with Quiera Lampkins sitting out.
Weatherspoon finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. She showcased her outside shot as well. Her ability to carry the team is something Lampkins wanted to see from her this season and said she needs to average a double-double this season to benefit the team most.
Defensively, Weatherspoon forced several turnovers and steals. Offensively, she dominated inside as well as out. And prior to this game, you would have never known Ohio had a rebounding deficiency. The Bobcats finished with 36 rebounds, 17 offensive.
That happened Saturday. She dominated every time she was on the court, and it was noticeable if she wasn't. When Ohio got out to an early lead, it slowly started to dissipate when she left the court. Thomas More took advantage of one less body inside and started to climb back into the game.
But what Ohio does best is shoot threes. And they did just that. Weatherspoon unloaded from beyond the arc, as well as Dominique Doseck and Kelly Karlis.
Ohio's depth is something that is going to be crucial this season, and that was justified Saturday. In addition to the offense, the defense was solid as well.
Defensively, simply put, Ohio was scrappy. In the second quarter, Thomas More had four straight possessions that resulted in turnovers, Ohio turned them into points and Weatherspoon was a key asset on both sides of the court. The Bobcats forced 26 turnovers and scored 28 points off those turnovers.
Though Ohio didn't have Lampkins, Weatherspoon showed she can be just as much of an asset as Lampkins.
