After a week off, it's back to business for Ohio.
The Bobcats (11-9, 4-4 Mid-American Conference) got their longest break between games since December this week and have used it to get ready for the second half of their conference schedule.
I think this late in the season
we definitely needed (the break) mentally and physically guard Jennifer Bushby said. I think it helped us just because we're more prepared to come back and work hard for practice.
For a team with as little depth as Ohio, the break was used as recovery time for players who have had injuries bothering them throughout the season.
Normally
I wouldn't like to take this many days off and would've tried to schedule a non-conference game
coach Sylvia Crawley said. But with our lack of depth and as far as our injuries go
this was the best thing for our team.
Crawley and her staff have had the players lift weights and do position workouts over the break, things the team does not normally have time for with short periods between games.
The team shrugged off any notions that the momentum it picked up from this past Saturday's 77-66 win at Ball State dwindled with the time off.
I think we're all in very high spirits and we still realize how huge that was for us
Bushby said.
Guard Quintana Ward said that the team has talked about what lies ahead in the final eight games of the season.
We only have four home games left
so we know we have to protect our home floor
Ward said. We have eight games until (the) MAC (Tournament)
and we just have to stay focused and pick up these last eight wins.
The first of those eight games comes tomorrow at home against Central Michigan.
The Chippewas (9-12, 1-7 MAC) started off the season well, winning nine of their first 14 games, but have gone into a tailspin since, losing their last seven games, which were all against MAC opponents.
Forward Ann Skufca leads the Chippewas in scoring, averaging 11.5 points per game. Guard Sharonda Hurd averages 10.5 points per game and leads the team in rebounds with 6.7 per outing. Hurd had 19 points and 15 rebounds, both career highs, in Central Michigan's most recent game, a 79-70 loss to Miami on Saturday.
They're a really scrappy team
Crawley said. We're going to focus on not getting caught up in what they're doing. Our team is pretty tough at home and so it's perfect timing with the week-long break and the game being at home. We couldn't have drawn it up any better.
