Although Ohio has made the lengthy trek to Las Vegas and has several long journeys left on its docket, one of its least favorite road trips is one that is only 193 miles.
Kent State’s Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center has not treated the Bobcats well throughout the years, making it a less-than-favorable destination for this year’s team.
“Coach was talking about how sometimes, when you go to certain gyms, it’s not as comfortable,” guard Tenishia Benson said. “Some can be darker, some have intense fans — it seems like it’s just not comfortable in the gym. Every time we go to Kent, it’s the same thing. We somehow let it slip through our hands.”
In the Mid-American Conference opener Wednesday against Buffalo, the Bobcats had little trouble retaining possession of the ball. They relinquished only 13 turnovers and snagged 40 rebounds, 15 of which came on the offensive end.
Ohio will look to continue its poise in the paint against the Golden Flashes, who do not have a single player averaging more than six rebounds per game.
“It’s always a work in progress for that,” coach Semeka Randall said about the team’s rebounding progress. “It’s just about effort and heart, how much you want the rebounds. Again, we’ll be challenged with a task, and let’s see if we can hit our second assignment, as I call it.”
More than half of Kent State’s roster consists of freshmen, including top scorers Jamie Hutchenson and Itziar Llobet, who average about nine and 10 points, respectively. Only junior Trisha Krewson is more of an offensive threat. She averages almost 12 points per game.
The Golden Flashes’ youth has shown this season. They have stumbled to a 1-10 record, their only win coming on a last-second 3-pointer against Morehead State in November.
Ohio opened its season with a loss to the Eagles five days before.
A win at the MAC Center, where Ohio has not won since February 2008, would mean more to the Bobcats than just improving their record to 9-7 and 2-0 in the conference. It would signify a step in the right direction — especially considering Ohio has won only five of its last 37 meetings with the Golden Flashes.
“Good teams win on the road; we’ve been winning at home,” Benson said. “But can we take that winning tradition, that winning culture, elsewhere in that non-home environment?”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
