Ohio Women's Basketball
Bobcats seek to end second-round curse at MAC Tournament
By Andrew Reeder, Staff Writer
March 9, 2008 | 11:15 p.m.
The battle-tested lady Bobcats failed to secure a bye in the Mid-American Conference Tournament after losing at Miami University in overtime Wednesday, so they will face a familiar first-round foe Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena -- the Central Michigan Chippewas.
“We just feel like we’re living in 'Groundhog Day,'” coach Sylvia Crawley said of her team’s draw in the tournament, referencing the 1993 Bill Murray comedy. Ohio University (18-12, 10-6 MAC), the No. 3 seed in the East Division, will play the sixth seed in the West Division, Central Michigan (6-22, 2-13 MAC), in the first round of the conference tournament for the fourth year in a row.
The ‘Cats have eliminated the Chippewas in all three of their previous tournament games and have been subsequently knocked out in the second round. Two of their last three tournament losses have come at the hands of the Eastern Michigan Eagles, who the Green-and-White would again be facing if they win Sunday.
“We’ve knocked [Central Michigan] out of the tournament the past few years, so they’re going to be coming after us,” sophomore Jennifer Bushby said.
In their meeting earlier this season, the Bobcats, led by Lauren Kohn’s 22 points, beat Central Michigan 71-64 in Mount Pleasant, Mich. In fact, the Chippewas haven’t recorded a win against Ohio since Feb. 4, 2006 (they've had four meetings since). But the lady ‘Cats aren’t looking past their opponent.
“We’re taking it one game at a time," Crawley said. "We don’t want to overlook Central Michigan. They’re going to play hard for 40 minutes, and the minute you relax is when they try to score or they penetrate to the basket.”
Although the Chippewas have not posted a stellar record this season, their two conference wins were both against teams from the East Division and the Chippewas have three players averaging more than 10 points per game.
“We’re not going to zoom in on one person -- you can’t with that team,” Crawley said of Central Michigan’s balanced scoring attack. “We just have to play good, solid defense and help each other.”
Although Ohio went 2-1 during its three-game road stand to end the season, the Bobcats feel that they have the advantage when it comes to preparing for the MAC Tournament.
“Our team now knows that they can play three games back-to-back and compete at a very high level,” Crawley said.
Ohio was the only team in the MAC this season to finish its season with three conference road games -- the Bobcats have to make up a game at Northern Illinois University that had been postponed for the tragedy that occurred on its campus.
“I think last week, playing those three games a day apart really helped us prepare for [the MAC Tournament],” said junior Chandra Myers, who had 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against the Chippewas in their regular season meeting.
Not one of the lady Bobcats has ever made it past the second round of the MAC Tournament, including the team’s three seniors, Lauren Kohn, Simone Redd and Quintana Ward, but that doesn’t mean they are superstitious. Instead, the Ohio women are using their past second-round struggles against the Eastern Michigan Eagles to their benefit.
“We’re using this as motivation to get past this point of beating Central [Michigan], beating Eastern [Michigan] and getting to the MAC championship,” Myers said.
Getting to the MAC championship game is something the ‘Cats haven’t done since 1986 when they defeated Central Michigan 92-85 in overtime.
“I think our seniors need to prove to themselves that they can play past this first and second round with the same exact teams, and I think they are very determined to make that happen," Crawley said.
MAC Tournament seeds
EAST DIVISION
1. Bowling Green State University
2. Miami
3. Ohio
4. University at Buffalo
5. Kent State University
6. University of Akron
WEST DIVISION
1. Ball State University
2. Eastern Michigan University
3. Western Michigan University
4. Northern Illinois
5. University of Toledo
6. Central Michigan University
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