Ohio hopes its momentum spills into The Convo Wednesday night
In one offseason, Ohio has gone from being a team overlooked in Mid-American Conference competition to one that is battling for the top spot in the East Division.
As the Bobcats get deeper into the heart of conference play, they’ve managed to grow their momentum with a snow-ball effect, especially after rolling over the preseason conference pick to win it all, Central Michigan, by 20 points on Saturday.
But in the midst of the best season since 1984-85, coach Bob Boldon has continuously said each game grows with importance, regardless of the upcoming opponent’s ability. Yet Boldon isn’t alone in this philosophy; the players are buying in too.
“I think it’s more fun playing with a target on our back because we have to play hard, play fast and do what we know,” sophomore guard Yamonie Jenkins said. “I think it’s more fun this year with us being the top team instead of last year when we were underdogs.”
Suddenly playing a team such as Northern Illinois — a team with a meager 2-7 road record and sits second-worst in the West Division — has transformed from a matchup Ohio could win a season ago, to a matchup Ohio should win Wednesday.
The Huskies will enter The Convo with a single player averaging double-digits, senior guard Amanda Corral (14.6 points), while Ohio has three players in double-digits. Junior guard Kiyanna Black has averaged 16 points, along with sophomore guard Quiera Lampkins averaging 13 and junior forward Lexie Baldwin with 10.
After Monday’s practice, Lampkins said the Bobcats still focus on competition as much as the team focuses on itself, but improved play has allowed for more emphasis on correcting mistakes on a game-to-game basis.
“(Watching film on opponents) is about the same as last year,” she said. “Only this year is more about us actually buying into what coach says and actually listening to what he’s saying … Last year we just wanted to do our own thing.”
Comparisons continue to get made between the 2013-14 team because of how drastic that turnaround has been to this point. A 10-game losing streak last year has been washed away with optimism that Ohio’s impressive campaign progresses. The Bobcats currently have a buzz, surrounding their practices and games, that had been missing in years passed.
“Yeah, we beat Central by 20, but there’s more games in the MAC,” Lampkins said. “This is only the beginning.”
@charliehatch_
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