Ohio took home its first win of the season Saturday with a victory against George Washington. The Bobcats led throughout the game and turned up the energy during the second half of the game, ending with a 52-40 win.
Ohio ended the first with 3 points put up at the buzzer by Asiah Baxter. The momentum continued to progress leading up to the second, with Bailey Tabeling’s driving layups keeping the ball in Ohio’s possession. Kate Dennis had a career night, totaling 15 points while showing her consistency and ball control.
Dennis continues to create and seize opportunities for the team; she looks to conquer, playing through a constantly changing game.
“It wasn't necessarily pressure; I think it was more hunger to be successful and come out with a win,” Dennis said. “Every game, we’re trying to win, so there was a collective intensity from everybody to win this game that we all executed.”
Ohio looked strong in its defensive strategy and improved in the shooting game, bringing up the average of shots made to 29% and a free throw point percentage of 68% for the day. The Bobcats excelled at acting fast on their feet to regain possession, earning 12 steals and utilizing the Revolutionaries' 19 turnovers to make quick drives to the basket.
After a tough week of practice, Ohio set the tone early in the game, showing out as a unit. During the third, there was a clear shift in intensity, and Ohio used it to outscore George Washington 17-14 for the quarter.
“I think this week of practice really helped us a lot,“ Tabeling said. "It was a rough week, but instead of kind of going away from one another, we went towards each other. We leaned on each other for help. That’s something we really focus on, especially after such a rough loss against Bellarmine, making sure we stay as a team."
Ohio worked hard to prepare to win, a collaborative effort that paid off. Ohio coach Bob Bolden said he is impressed with the effort the Bobcats showed on the court during the game and the week leading up to it.
Bolden also noted the toughness of George Washington, something he thought Ohio fought back well against.
“They're such a physical team, a very talented team, and they have some players that are really dynamic and get to the rim,” Bolden said. “I thought we did a pretty good job of prohibiting that, at least making it difficult. We made some pretty tough shots, but I thought we did a good job at not giving them very many shots.”
Ohio is soaking in the first win of the season with a matchup against Ohio State on the horizon. Bolden plans on continuing to train to win and prepare the team to compete against aggressive teams.
“Today was probably the most physical game we've played, and Wednesday will be more physical, so it kind of gives you an idea of what you're dealing with,” Bolden said. “Defensively, we're going to have to play things a little bit differently than we did today. It’s all part of the process and something that I know our coaching staff is looking forward to, and I'm sure our players are as well.”
