The Bobcats might not have been enrolled in chemistry classes during winter break, but they sure learned a lot about it.
With a small roster and plenty of new faces, Ohio entered the 2010-11 season with a lot of questions about what players would fill which roles. The Bobcats have only 11 players on their roster, including five women new to the program.
Redshirt junior Tenishia Benson soon emerged as the leading scorer and rebounder. Benson scored 14.6 points and grabbed 7.5 rebounds per contest during the non-conference season, including three double-doubles.
But different performers have filled the supporting roles. In the four games where Benson has not been the leading scorer, four different Bobcats have paced the squad.
Entering the six-week interlude between Fall and Winter Quarters, Ohio (4-9) had 11 games remaining before the Mid-American Conference schedule tipped off in January. There were no classes to attend, but the Bobcats learned a few hard lessons amidst their tests throughout the non-conference slate.
The team entered break on a winning note after defeating Memphis 62-45 to take the edge off a 37-point loss to Louisville in the home opener. The Bobcats made it two-in-a-row in an unattractive road win against Marshall. Ohio found its rhythm from the free-throw line against the Herd, but a 29.1-percent shooting performance from the field showed there was much room for improvement.
With a 15-point halftime lead against Youngstown State, the Bobcats appeared to have solved their shooting dilemma. But another key component to success was soon discovered to be missing: consistency.
The Penguins outscored the Bobcats 41-18 in the second half and sent them to their first of seven straight losses. Playing 40 minutes of composed basketball proved difficult during much of the skid. In four of the team's 13 games, Ohio's first and second half performances differed by at least 13 points.
Largely because of their stop-and-start tendencies, the Bobcats finished their non-conference schedule at the bottom of the MAC in scoring, scoring margin and field-goal percentage. Benson is the only Bobcat averaging at least 10 points per game. All other MAC squads have at least two players who accomplished the feat.
The conference schedule begins Wednesday when Bowling Green visits The Convo. Ohio coach Semeka Randall could not be reached for comment.
2 Sports
Michael Stainbrook
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Thia Gholson is challenged by a swarm of Louisville players as she goes up for a basket during the season opener at The Convo. The Bobcats lost 84-47. Their next game is Saturday against Miami. Steven Turville | FOR THE POST
