After the final buzzer sounded Sunday afternoon in The Convo, Ohio’s women’s basketball team sat at 0-2, just coming from an awful loss against Bellarmine at home.
The Bobcats didn’t just lose; they were blown out, with the final score being 82-50 in favor of Bellarmine.
In the 30-point blowout, Ohio had some jarring stats at the end of the game, shooting just 25%
from the floor and 13.5% from the three-point line. No one was able to get it going on offense for Ohio.
“Some days they fall like crazy, and some days they don't,” Kate Dennis said. “I think today was just a little bit of a challenge for us.”
The Bobcats’ shooting performance against Bellarmine was truly uncharacteristic. In Ohio’s first game against Georgia Southern, it shot 40% from three and 42% from the floor.
The way Ohio ended last season with a young team left me and many others optimistic about the improvements and progression the team could make. So far, through just two games of the season, Ohio is winless and still struggling with the turnover issues that plagued it last season.
“I’m not happy with the 22 turnovers; that's too many,” Ohio coach Bob Boldon said.
This team is still relatively young and dealing with a decent number of injuries as well, forcing players like Bailey Tabeling to transition into a new role.
Jaya McClure has been out for the first two games, and it is uncertain when the preseason MAC second-teamer will return to the court for Ohio.
For McClure, the Bobcats are not only missing her 12.6 points per game from last season, but they are also missing her playmaking and creativity. As the main ballhandler last season, McClure’s arsenal of dribble moves and ways to get past her defender not only set her up with good shots but also her teammates.
Although Ohio’s first two games of the season have not been particularly encouraging, this team is still loaded with talent when healthy. Bailey Tabeling scored 17 points in Sunday’s loss and has been improving with the ball in her hand running the offense.
Kennedi Watkins scored 26 points, a career-high, in the Georgia Southern game, going 4-5 from three.
This team will need some time to gel and play well, but with another home game against George Washington coming up, they should be looking to get their first win of the season very soon.
