It’s fitting that the stars aligned for someone who calls herself a “nerd” about outer space and even has said she could “talk about the universe and space for days.”
When freshman forward Hannah Boesinger was searching for a college to attend, Ohio wasn’t even on her list.
Boesinger signed a letter of intent in the fall of 2012 to attend Youngstown State and play basketball for coach Bob Boldon.
But after Boldon and his coaching staff left Youngstown State and accepted the same coaching positions at Ohio, Boesinger had a change of heart and decommitted from becoming a Penguin.
“She contacted us, and we coincidentally had a scholarship available,” Boldon said. “Obviously we liked her, and her family and we established a relationship with her and she told us she was going to open up her recruiting again and was going to look at all the schools in Ohio.”
Boesinger, a Hudson native, eventually made a trip to Athens for a visit with Boldon and committed the next day. She was the only player to decommit from Youngstown State and follow Boldon to Ohio.
But now looking back on making the move, Boesinger believes she has come a long way. She has become an integral part of the Bobcats’ roster by battling for boards and providing consistent shooting from behind the arc.
“She’s a kid who works hard,” coach Bob Boldon said. “Whether it’s a practice or a game, or whatever it is, Hannah is going to come in and do her work and she’s going to give you a great effort. And she’s going to do well in the classroom.”
When Ohio’s season tipped off in November against Xavier, she played just one minute and didn’t record any statistics.
“At the beginning of the season, I didn’t really play,” Boesinger said. “It had to do with confidence.”
As her confidence grew, so did Boldon’s faith in the forward.
Up to this point, she has since started 10 games, averaging about 20 minutes of play in each outing.
When Ohio traveled on Jan. 15 to play Kent State, just nine miles from her hometown, Boesinger tore up the Golden Flashes with 18 points on 4-of-5 shooting from three, despite recording four personal fouls in the first half.
Often times, Boesinger can be found doing the dirty work, while her teammates produce more colorful stat lines, though she has averaged five points and four rebounds per game, including shooting 34 percent from downtown — the second-highest percentage on the team.
Even off the court, she is able to maintain a positive, light-hearted attitude, despite Ohio’s season-long, 10-game losing streak entering Thursday.
After losing 62-58 on the road at Toledo on Feb. 15, Boesinger live-tweeted updates when the Bobcats’ bus was pulled over by a state trooper during the team’s trip back to Athens.
Other times, members of the team catch her and redshirt sophomore guard Kat Yelle become “nerds” as they discuss their curiosity for the 11th dimension, black holes or other outer space subjects.
But regardless theories or existential wonders, Boesinger knows her place as a member of the Bobcats.
“When I’m on the court, I know I’m out there for a reason,” she said.
The stars have aligned after all.
@CharlieHatch_
gh181212@ohiou.edu
