There’s an overused cliché in sports of a team picking up a “statement win.” Typically it’s unnecessary, avoidable and an exaggeration.
And then there are other times when a statement win is the only true way to assess a contest; Saturday afternoon was one of those occasions.
Ohio’s 71-51 win over Central Michigan wasn’t just another win to remain tied with Akron for first-place in the Mid-American Conference East division. Rather, it was a victory acknowledging that the Bobcats not only can compete with the best teams in the MAC; they can beat them, too.
“Yeah, that’s the best team we’ve beaten since I’ve been here,” coach Bob Boldon said. “They all count as one win in the standings so I don’t know if it’s anymore valuable than any other win. CMU has been the benchmark in this conference for some time.”
Ohio took control immediately, opening the game on a 14-1 run against a Central Michigan team predicated to win the MAC in the preseason coaches’ poll.
The Bobcats also found a way to keep a WNBA prospect, Crystal Bradford, deafeningly quiet. Bradford, who entered the game averaging 21.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, was held to eight points and five rebounds on a 2-16 shooting performance.
“She’s better than anybody else, certainly better than anyone we play, so you want to make her take as many tough shots as you can,” Boldon said. “A lot of it was she missed shots, and that can be the complete opposite when we play them in two weeks.”
Even if Boldon, a second-year coach with Ohio, continues to downplay the significance of every win, his team is off to its best start since 1985, when the Bobcats won the MAC and appeared in the NCAA tournament.
“If you’re asking me how many games we’re going to win, I don’t know,” he said. “They’re growing a little bit and they have a higher standard than we once had…there’s a lot of positives and obviously you feel positive after a win.”
What he does know is that he’s proud of his team’s emphasis on ball distribution. While it’s impressive to force a team to only muster five assists, Boldon was even more impressed with Ohio recording 20 assists on 26 field goals, a stat in which he said he’s never seen a team he’s coached manage to produce.
“I think we just try to find the open player,” junior guard Kiyanna Black said. “We really stress working together as a team offensively and defensively, so we just look for the easy play.”
The Chippewas’ 51 points was the second-fewest they’ve scored all season, which came in an 80-45 loss to No. 1 South Carolina on Dec. 20.
“Wow,” Boldon said.
Wow was the perfect statement.
@charliehatch_
gh181212@ohio.edu
