Though the season was marked by a revolving door of injuries and inconsistent shooting, the Ohio women’s basketball program appears to be moving in the right direction.
The Bobcats finished with an overall record of 14-18 — their best during coach Semeka Randall’s four years in Athens — and won a Mid-American Conference Tournament game for the second year in a row.
We had a better quality of basketball out there on the floor as a whole,” Randall said. “Obviously, defensively we were pretty good in terms of the style we play. I think you finally got an opportunity to see that.”
Freshman guard Kat Yelle energized the Bobcats and helped the team to start the year 3-1. But Ohio lost four consecutive games, which freshman guard Mariah Byard called one of the low points of the season.
Ohio traveled to Las Vegas and competed in the Duel in the Desert, securing a key win against Xavier and playing well against a top-level opponent Syracuse.
Randall said players stepped up offensively and helped contribute to the team.
“Tenishia (Benson’s) play was outstanding as a senior, just being able to be consistent,” Randall said. “Mariah grew toward the end of the season and did some amazing things and got more comfortable with her shot.”
Supporting Benson’s efforts, sophomore guard Shavon Robinson gave the Bobcats a one-two punch and eclipsed the 500-point mark early in the year.
The Bobcats proved to be formidable at home, posting a 12-5 record at The Convo. Ohio earned a victory against a perennially strong Bowling Green team in its final home game of the regular season.
Ohio lost two close contests to end the regular season but found momentum going into the conference tournament and hosted a first-round game for the first time with Randall at the helm.
After splitting the first two games of the series against Kent State this season, Ohio imposed its will against the Golden Flashes and held them to eight points in the first half en route to a 58-40 victory.
The Bobcats squared off against Central Michigan in the next round. Earlier in the season, both sides let tensions flare as benches cleared and Ohio’s Porsha Harris was suspended for two games.
In the next meeting, Ohio kept the game close before losing 58-55 and bowing out of the tournament.
Despite the loss ending the season, Byard called it a high point for the team.
“We were really excited to play, and I think that was high point of the season,” she said. “We had other big games that we won, but I think that (Wednesday’s) game was the most important.”
The biggest question that Ohio has to answer before next season is how it will replace Benson’s production.
“It wasn’t all points,” Randall said. “It’s rebounds, it’s leadership and steady consistent play.”
Randall said it would take a collective effort from everyone on the team to make up for the loss in production.
nr225008@ohiou.edu
