As Ohio comes off earning its first win in four games Saturday against Miami, coach Bob Boldon knows the team’s confidence can’t be too high.
But it also can’t be too low.
Rather, the Bobcats simply must keep trying to improve. The Mid-American Conference is too good for the Bobcats to rest as the end of the season nears.
Ohio, ranked fifth in the conference, is in a strange situation. The last time the Bobcats weren’t one of the top four teams in the MAC was during the 2013-2014 season, Boldon’s first season as coach.
“It doesn’t bring back memories,” Quiera Lampkins said Feb. 20, before Ohio lost to Buffalo on Feb. 22. “Because it’s not like freshman year where we just terrible.”
The Bobcats will play Bowling Green on Wednesday at The Convo at 7 p.m. The Bobcats need to win their last two games, especially if they want a first-round bye in the MAC Tournament.
Now, Kent State holds the No. 4 seed in the conference. For Ohio to gain a top-four seed, it needs Kent State to lose its last two games. But Ohio also needs to win its last two games.
“It’s different,” Boldon said about not being at the top. “Whether we were at the top, or the bottom or the middle, we’re just trying to win our next game.”
Boldon knows it’s mathematically impossible to earn a top-three seed in the conference. No matter how the season ends, Central Michigan, Ball State and Northern Illinois will be the top three seeds.
But the Bobcats can still catch the Golden Flashes.
For in a season in which the Bobcats haven’t played as well as in past years, the Bobcats are still a respected team in the MAC.
“Their (the team) results have been frustrating at times,” Boldon said. “And certainly disappointed with the overall record, but coming in and working hard, they’ve always done that.”
Boldon values hard work. It’s his main principle, his other values stemming from it.
The Bobcats have worked hard. Even when they missed 138 shots during their three-game losing streak, they took good shots. Even when they heavily relied on Lampkins – she took 69 shots during the losing streak – the other players at least tried to play their roles well.
So, with the MAC tournament a week away, Boldon still believes in his team. He has done so all season.
But the Bobcats can’t get too confident – they still must win their last two games to have a chance at the top.
“When the tournament comes around you’ll see, I think you’ll see a good effort out of this team,” Boldon said.
