After a slow start, the Bobcats found their groove and cruised to their first exhibition victory with a 87-52 win against Ohio Valley University.
The Fighting Scots got their first and only lead of the game when they led by two points just 33 seconds into the game. The Bobcats turned up the jets and went into halftime leading 45-23.
Junior Porsha Harris and seniors Tenishia Benson and Alesia Howard led the way for the Bobcats. Harris finished the first half with 10 points while Benson had seven rebounds and 10 points. Ohio Valley was only 9-for-32 from the field in the first half.
The Bobcats were able to stay out of foul trouble, committing just four fouls in the first half, and the Bobcats drew 13 fouls from the Fighting Scots.
Benson finished the game with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Howard finished the game with 15 points and five rebounds while newcomer Harris finished with 12 points and three rebounds.
Harris is expected to give Ohio more depth in the paint, and Randall emphasized that the team cannot rely exclusively on Benson. Ohio finished the game 30-for-61 from the field, but the team still has work to do, as it gave up 17 offensive rebounds to Ohio Valley.
“We are a work in progress, but for our first game out … a lot of different new faces out there,” coach Semeka Randall said. “I thought overall it was a pretty good job for the first time.”
Ohio will be using a lot of depth this year, and it will throw a lot of freshman in the mix.
“They’re able to understand, listen and then apply it in the game. That I commend every last underclassman we have,” Benson said. Freshman •Kat Yelle played 27 minutes and scored 11 points with three rebounds. Yelle was able to get quality playing time with Ashley Fowler sitting out due to an injury.
Randall described Yelle as a player with no fear and thinks it’s good for the team that she can get quality minutes while Fowler is hurt for depth purposes.
“It allows Kat to grow up because there are going to be times where she has those typical freshman moments,” Randall said.
