Coach Bob Boldon didn’t have any other choice but to turn to his bench during important minutes Wednesday night in The Convo.
But in a game with so many uncertain moments, Boldon’s bench was the most reliable part of his team in the 80-67 win over Western Michigan.
After Yamonie Jenkins limped off the court — the second starter to do so in the first half -- the Bobcats had their biggest offensive explosion this season, going on a 21-1 run to lead 47-31 at halftime. Thirteen of those points were scored by bench players Hannah Boesinger and Katie Barker.
Then it was Barker’s two straight 3-pointers to break the Bobcats out of a scoring drought in the fourth quarter, one of multiple shooting showcases that padded the Ohio lead.
“That’s one of the hardest things to do in sport is to sit there and wait for your coach to put you in the game,” Boldon said. “To be able to stay ready both mentally and physically, I think they deserve some praise for that.”
Wednesday's game was the second-straight game Ohio dominated its opponent in bench scoring. Both Boesinger and Barker hit season high benchmarks in scoring with 13 and 18, respectively, and the comfort of home made it possible in part.
Barker attributed the 40-to-11 bench domination to playing at home. She said it gives the bench players comfort to go through their routines in a familiar building.
For Boesinger, the season best was as important to her as it was for the team. Boesinger has struggled shooting all season long, but her 5-7 performance Wednesday gave her reason to believe.
“It makes me hopeful for the rest of the season,” Boesinger said.
While the bench was extraordinary, the starters stepped up in their own way. Leading rebounder Jasmine Weatherspoon only played four minutes because of a leg injury, but her teammates filled in the blanks as a team.
Five players recorded at least three rebounds, and the Bobcats ended the game within three rebounds of the second-best rebounding team in the conference without their best rebounder.
Although Wednesday’s game was about a team coming together, Quiera Lampkins still found a way to stand out.
Lampkins leveraged the attention she got on her drives to the rim into six assists to go with her 16 points and four rebounds. For much of the night, Lampkins’ teammates didn’t need to move much to get open, and her efforts were not lost on the beneficiaries.
“Even if (Lampkins) isn’t scoring, she’s still doing a lot,” Barker said.
Jenkins returned to the game in the second half, but Weatherspoon’s status going forward is unknown. With a matchup with rival Miami looming, the Bobcats may need to come together for multiple unified performances.
“We need to continue to bring energy, especially without (Weatherspon),” Boesinger said. “We all really need to fill that gap.”
