Ohio’s first quarter against High Point was a solid performance – it led 18-13 at the end of the quarter.
But the second quarter decided the game, as the Bobcats scored 31 points to the Panthers’ six. Ohio (1-0) defeated High Point (0-1) 76-48 Sunday in its regular season opener.
Heading into the game, which players would be in the starting lineup was a mystery. With Quiera Lampkins out because of an ankle injury, coach Bob Boldon used a starting lineup of Yamonie Jenkins, Taylor Agler, Hannah Boesinger, Kelly Karlis and Jasmine Weatherspoon.
Ohio’s frontcourt gave the team size, which boded especially well for the team getting rebounds. Ohio grabbed 38 rebounds, and 11 of those were on the offensive end.
High Point showed multiple defenses, ranging from a press to a 3-2 zone defense. Though Ohio has struggled against zone defenses in the past, that was not the case Sunday.
Ohio moved the ball well against the zone, with Agler and Jenkins penetrating the defense. As the two guards made the defense collapse, other players were open for jump shots. The Bobcats shot 49.1 percent from the floor, and they shot 44 percent from the three-point line.
Ohio’s offense was so fluid that it didn’t have a definite stand out player. Four players had a usage percentage over 20 percent; usage percentage shows how much a player is used on offense.
The offense benefitted from moving the ball from side to side, as any player could succeed in the offense. Weatherspoon led the team in usage percentage with 26.64 percent, totaling 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. Agler contributed 15 points on 50 percent shooting.
With Ohio playing well without its best player in Lampkins, that bodes well for the team. The Bobcats have depth, which could serve them well this season.
Ohio’s will play against Tennessee-Martin on Friday in The Convo at 11:00 a.m.
