Ohio will have its hands full Wednesday, as Eastern Michigan will try to make a dent in the Bobcats’ 8-4 record in the Convo.
The Eagles (14-7, 6-2 Mid-American Conference) lead the MAC East Division and are led by senior guard Tavelyn James.
“They have one of the player-of-the year contenders in Tavelyn James,” Ohio coach Semeka Randall said. “She’s an extraordinary player and just has a knack for putting the ball in the basket.
“She does everything — she makes her team better.”
James shoots better than 40 percent from the field and makes 85 percent of her free throws. She averages nearly 24 points per game — almost 10 points more than the Bobcats’ leading offensive force, senior guard Tenishia Benson.
The Eagles’ senior guard was named the MAC West player of the week for the sixth time in her career yesterday, as she dropped more than 30 points in each of the Eagles’ cross-divisional games last week. However, she has the opportunity to make this game more memorable than the last pair.
The Bobcats (10-12, 3-5 MAC) will look to slow down James, who will pass Western Michigan alum Carrie Moore (2003-07) for third on the MAC’s all-time scoring docket with an average performance.
“We’re not going to do anything too magical, in the sense that we’re just going to play our principles, and we just have to be aware at all times of where she’s at on the floor,” Randall said. “We have to make sure to not allow anybody else on their team to have career point nights against us.”
James is clearly the Eagles’ top offensive threat. However, no player has definitively filled the role of her sidekick this season. Sophomore Natachia Watkins and senior Paige Redditt play second fiddle on a potent starting lineup that has been together for all of the Eagles’ 21 games this season.
Consistency is the key, as the starting five average more points per contest (61.3) than the Bobcats’ entire team, which puts up 60.4.
“She knows that she draws a lot of double-teams, so she knows how to hit the right players,” Randall said. “Players have been able to feed off her confidence and her poise out on the floor, and they have been able to step up and make plays for the team.”
Ohio is fresh off a 13-point win against Western Michigan on Saturday, in which sophomore guard Shavon Robinson had her best performance of the season, tying her career-high of 22.
For the Bobcats to have a chance to contend against EMU, Robinson will have to continue to be in top form on both ends of the court.
“Anytime she gets going and just continues to roll like that, that definitely helps,” Benson said. “Because she doesn’t just contribute offensively — it happens defensively.
“It just trickles through our game. That’s a big help from one of our go-to players.”
Ohio will once again be without forward Porsha Harris who will be serving the final game of her two-game suspension.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
UpNext
OHIO vs. Eastern Michigan
7 p.m. Wednesday
The Convo
— Ohio leads the all-time series 30-21.
— The Eagles won last year’s matchup 85-40.
