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Ohio University's Olivia Bower (#13) dribbles between Miami University's Savannah Kluesner (#32) and Kendall McCoy (#40) during the Bobcats’ game against the RedHawks on Jan. 30, 2019. (FILE)

Women's Basketball: Reviewing Ohio's recent bout with injuries and what it means for its next game against Akron

Before Ohio tipped off against Miami last Wednesday in The Convo, nearly every starting player was dealing with some form of ailment.

Erica Johnson and Dominique Doseck were ill. Olivia Bower was three days removed from a lower-leg injury sustained on Jan 26. Gabby Burris suffered an ankle injury in practice a week earlier. Amani Burke and Kaylee Bambule have mostly recovered from sprained ankles suffered in early January.

The injuries and illnesses that plagued the Bobcats in January have finally begun to decline. When Ohio plays Akron on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in The Convo, it will be the healthiest game in almost three weeks for the Bobcats. 

"Coach Bob (Boldon) always talked about how the season is a grind,“ Bambule said. “I think right now, all of us are kind of getting hit with our nicks, but we're pulling it in together. Everybody's getting healthy right now, and it's a good time to get healthy."

Despite the plethora of injuries the Bobcats suffered in January, the toll was minimal. Only one starting player — Burris on Jan. 26 — missed a game, and Ohio still touted a full 10-player roster for nearly all its games last month. The Bobcats endured only•one loss in their last seven games and, with a 6-2 conference record, still control first place in the Mid-American Conference East Division.

Ohio proved that it’s a tough team last month. With five players averaging double-digit point totals, the Bobcats’ scoring versatility ensured that any slack lost from an injured player can be replaced, a necessity if they want to advance deep into the postseason.

Boldon, however, still isn’t ready to place Ohio among the MAC’s top teams. He’s been humble when speaking about the success of the Bobcats, who have only lost twice this season, and their consistency despite the injuries didn’t change that.

“(The toughness) just depends on what scale you want to grade it on,“ Boldon said. “For a good team, yeah, they've shown a lot of toughness, and they're a good team. If you're judging it on a great team, I don't know. You wait to see how the record finishes up and how the next couple of weeks go. I think that's where we're at right now.”

With a healthier roster, Ohio can use Wednesday as a tune-up for tougher games that lie ahead. It’s what the Bobcats need for players still looking to return to full strength and settle into the same flow they had before injuries impeded them.

“(The injuries) threw us off in a way where we get in a rhythm with a certain five that's out there,“ Burke said, “and it's just like, well, when this person gets injured, they kind of take a while to get back to their full selves.”

The Zips (12-7, 3-5 MAC) sit in fifth place in the East Division, have lost four of their last five games and will likely struggle to contain the Bobcats, who scored 94 points against Ball State last Saturday.

If the Bobcats handle the Zips like it did against the Cardinals, they can feel confident about Saturday’s rematch against reigning MAC champion Central Michigan and look forward to seeing how their healthier roster will stack up against arguably the conference’s toughest team.

Scouting Akron

Probable starters 

Megan Sefcik (5-10)

Shaunay Edmonds (5-4)

Haliegh Reinoehl (6-2)

Caitlin Vari (6-1)

Shayna Harmon (5-9)

Reserves 

Gabrielle Brown-Mitchell (5-7)

Alyssa Clay (5-9)

Colleen Neitzel (6-1)

Kendall Miller (5-9)

Kynnedy Azubike (5-10)

Individual stat leaders

Points per game: Sefcik (17.1)

Rebounds per game: Reinoehl (7.2)

Steals: Sefcik (32) 

Field goal percentage: Vari (59.8 percent)

3-point percentage : Sefcik (36 percent)

Free-throw percentage: Sefcik (90.4 percent)

Team stats 

Points per game: 65.7

Rebounds per game: 35.8

Steals: 6.8

Field goal percentage: 39.7 percent

3-point percentage : 33.8 percent

Free-throw percentage: 74.2 percent

The series

Ohio is 42-19 all-time against Akron and has won eight of the last nine games. This will be Boldon’s first game against Akron coach Melissa Jackson in the MAC.

Key player to watch

Megan Sefcik — The redshirt senior has scored 15 or more points in all but one MAC game this season and dropped 19 points against Ohio in the first round of the MAC Tournament last year. Sefcik is fifth in the conference, one spot ahead of Cece Hooks, in scoring and has been a boost to Akron’s otherwise stagnant offense.

@anthonyp_2

ap012215@ohio.edu

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