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Quiera Lampkins goes in for a layup during the women’s basketball game against Northern Illinois on Feb. 6. The Bobcats won the game 95-70 at The Convo.(FILE)

Women's Basketball: Ohio crushes High Point without Quiera Lampkins

With 7:29 left in the first quarter, a High Point jumper gave the team a 3-2 lead over Ohio.

It was the first and last time the Panthers had the lead in Sunday afternoon's 76-48 Bobcat win in the season opener.

After a muddled offensive output in the first quarter, Ohio led 18-13. In the second, Ohio went on a 31-6 run.

"Much like the exhibition game with Thomas More, it just kinda took us a while to get settled in and kind of figure out what exactly we wanted to do," coach Bob Boldon said. "I thought our returners had a good understanding of what was going on and how to guard (High Point)."

Jasmine Weatherspoon was the main character in High Point's offensive nightmare. Weatherspoon tallied two steals and four blocks to go with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 26 minutes. Once the game became a blowout, Weatherspoon's thunderous swats began to sap the will away from the High Point players who dared to challenge her at the rim.

As the defense ratcheted up its performance, the offense began to find its footing as well. Taylor Agler's repeated penetration into the lane catalyzed Ohio's ball movement. All eight Ohio field goals came off assists in the frame

"I thought once we settled down, we moved the ball pretty well," Boldon said. "We're still kinda stuck a little bit, still weren't quite sure where to go with (the ball), but that comes with games. As we play more games, we'll have a better understanding of where the ball needs to go next."

The most impressive part of the blowout win was the fact that it came without the highest scoring returner from last season, Quiera Lampkins. Five Ohio players scored at least nine points, and four posted usage rates — a stat that measures how many possessions a player uses per 40 minutes — higher than 20 percent.

Ohio lost its best player to injury days before its opening game, and boasted a 40-point lead at one point in the third quarter. When Lampkins returns, and she'll return soon, opponents will have major problems defensively.

Ohio is only one game into the 2016-17 season, but its performance, without Lampkins, on Sunday suggested the Bobcats could reach impressive heights this season.

@JAjimbojr

jw331813@ohio.edu

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