Witness the Battle of Ohio - Ohio Women's Basketball vs. Ohio State

Scouting Ohio State

The No. 12/11 Ohio State Buckeyes enter this matchup with an impressive 3-0 overall record. They recently defeated Belmont with a score of 67-63. On average, the Buckeyes score 88.3 points per game, shooting 47.0 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, and 63.6 percent from the free-throw line. They also average 40.3 rebounds, 16 assists, and 13.7 steals per game. Their opponents manage to score only 61.7 points per game, shooting 36.2 percent from the field, 29.6 percent from three-point range, and 72.0 percent from the line. Ohio State forces 24.3 turnovers per game and averages 22.3 points off turnovers.

The Buckeyes have a star-studded lineup, with players like [Player 1] and [Player 2] leading the charge. Their offensive firepower and defensive tenacity make them a tough opponent for any team.

Scouting Ohio

The Ohio Bobcats, with a 1-2 overall record, are eager to bounce back after a tough start to the season. They earned their first victory by defeating George Washington 52-40. The Bobcats average 60.0 points per game, shooting 32.3 percent from the field, 24.2 percent from three-point range, and 64.6 percent from the free-throw line. They average 39.3 rebounds, 9.3 assists, and 7.7 steals per game. Their opponents score an average of 68.0 points per game, shooting 35.9 percent from the field, 25.3 percent from three-point range, and 66.0 percent from the line. Ohio forces 13.7 turnovers per game and averages 9.3 points off turnovers.

The Bobcats have some talented players of their own, such as [Player 3] and [Player 4], who will look to make an impact in this game.

All-Time vs Ohio State

In their all-time series with Ohio State, the Bobcats trail 1-14. This historical disadvantage adds an extra layer of motivation for the team as they aim to turn the tide in this matchup.

Last Time vs Ohio State

The last competition between Ohio and Ohio State was during the 2023-24 season, and the Bobcats fell on the road to the Buckeyes with a score of 85-45. This loss serves as a reminder of the challenges they face when facing Ohio State and fuels their determination to perform better this time around.

Last Time Out

The Ohio women's basketball team earned their first win of the season by defeating George Washington 52-40. In that game, the Bobcats showed great defensive intensity, forcing 19 turnovers and scoring six points off them. They also recorded 12 steals and had a strong rebounding performance, grabbing a total of 42 rebounds.

Individually, senior Kate Dennis led the team with a career-high 15 points, finishing 5-for-8 from the field, 2-for-5 from three-point range, and 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. Sophomore Bailey Tabeling contributed 12 points, a career-high nine rebounds, and three steals. Graduate student Aliah McWhorter added seven points, two assists, and one steal. Graduate student Anyssa Jones also added six points and snagged two steals.

Team Statistic Category Leaders (Top 3)

Points: Bailey Tabeling (43), Kate Dennis (28), Kennedi Watkins (28), Anyssa Jones (19), Aliah McWhorter (19)

Rebounds: Monica Williams (23), Bailey Tabeling (20), Anyssa Jones (13)

Assists: Monica Williams (10), Aliah McWhorter (5), Bailey Tabeling (5), Asiah Baxter (3), Anyssa Jones (3)

Blocks: Bailey Tabeling (3), Kate Dennis (2), Asiah Baxter (1), Kennedi Watkins (1)

Steals: Bailey Tabeling (5), Asiah Baxter (4), Monica Williams (4), Aliah McWhorter (3)

MAC Women's Basketball Statistical Leaders (Thru 11/18)

Team Rankings (Top 5): Opponent FG% – 1st (.359), Opponent 3PT% – 4th (.253), 3PT FG’s Made Per Game – 3rd (7.3), Opponent FT% – 5th (.660), Rebounds Per Game – 3rd (39.3), Defensive Rebounds Per Game – 3rd (28.7), Steals Per Game – 4th (7.67)

Individual Rankings (Top 10)

Points Per Game – Bailey Tabeling, 7th (14.3)

Total Rebounds – Monica Williams, 10th (23)

Rebounds Per Game – Monica Williams, 7th (7.7)

Defensive Rebounds – Bailey Tabeling, 9th (19)

Defensive Rebounds Per Game – Bailey Tabeling, 6th (6.3); Monica Williams, 8th (5.7)

3PT FG% – Asiah Baxter, 7th (.500)

3PT FG’s Made Per Game – Bailey Tabeling, 2nd (2.7)

Assists Per Game – Monica Williams, 8th (3.3)

Minutes Per Game – Monica Williams, 8th (34.0); Bailey Tabeling, 9th (33.3)

Game Highs (Top 3)

Team 3PT FG’s Made – Ohio vs. Georgia Southern (11/4), 3rd (12)

Individual FG’s Made – Kennedi Watkins vs. Georgia Southern (11/4), 3rd (10)

Last Season's Standouts

Junior Jaya McClure was one of the top performers for the Bobcats last season despite several injuries. She made 21 appearances with 16 starts, ranked first on the team for assists (75), second for points (278), and recorded 35 steals. She also had a career-high 26 points, 11 field goals made, nine assists, seven rebounds, and seven free throws made.

Senior Kennedi Watkins made an immediate impact in her first season at Ohio. She made 26 appearances with 21 starts, ranked first on the team in points (288), blocks (12), averaged 11.1 points per game, grabbed 98 rebounds, and ranked eighth in the MAC for steals with 40 total. She recorded a career-high 26 points, five blocks, 10 field goals made, and seven rebounds.

Sophomore Bailey Tabeling ended her debut season at Ohio as one of the top three-point shooters in the MAC and NCAA. She was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team after ranking third on the team for points (260), second for steals (48), grabbing 75 rebounds, and recording 32 assists. She ranked third in the MAC for three-point percentage, fourth for three-point field goals made per game, and seventh for steals. She also ranked 24th in the NCAA for three-point percentage at the end of the season.

Veteran Bobcats

The Ohio women's basketball team has nine players returning for the 2024-25 season, including the previously named standouts. Guards Kate Dennis and Monica Williams were important contributors last season and started in all 30 games.

Dennis played 697 minutes across 30 games and finished the 2022-23 season with 183 points, 57 rebounds, eight assists, eight blocks, and 17 steals. She ranked second in three-pointers (47), 3PT % (.343), blocks, and first for free throws made. The senior averaged less than one turnover per game with 21 total last season.

Williams played a team-high 788 minutes, averaging 26.3 minutes per game across 30 games. In her debut season, she recorded 247 points, 68 assists, 101 rebounds, 42 steals, and seven blocks. She ranked second on the team for assists, third for steals, blocks, and fifth for blocks. The sophomore netted a season-high 15 points at Kent State (1/6/24), recorded a season-high eight rebounds versus Eastern Michigan (1/20/24), a season-high five assists & seven steals versus Central Michigan (3/2/24), and three blocks versus Kent State (2/21/24).

Asiah Baxter, coming off the bench last season, played 73 minutes across 12 games. She netted 13 points and shot 41.7 percent from the field. She also totaled 10 rebounds and two assists. She played a season-high 21 minutes at Ball State (2/3/24).

Cassidy Lafler, Emma Barnett, and Aja Austin are the three returning forwards. All three missed a large portion or the entirety of the 2023-24 season due to injuries.

Welcome to Athens

Ohio welcomes seven newcomers to its 2024-25 roster. Gigi Bower, a 5-9 guard, joins the team after being a four-year letterwinner at Olentangy Liberty. She earned several honors and set a record for the most three-pointers in a season.

Kiersten Cashell, a 5-10 guard, was a four-year letterwinner at Hilliard Davidson High School. She was a team captain and averaged 12.5 points per game in 2022-23.

Anyssa Jones, a 5-10 graduate student guard, transferred from Ohio State to Dayton and then to Ohio. She has extensive experience and will be a key player for the Bobcats.

Madison Lim, a 5-10 redshirt freshman guard, was a four-year letterwinner at Mechanicsburg High School and served as team captain. She received the 2022-23 Scholar-Athlete Award.

Aliah McWhorter, a 6-1 graduate student guard, spent four seasons at Wake Forest but was injured for two seasons. She will bring her experience and skills to the team.

Olivia Rinard, a 5-5 freshman guard, was a four-year letterwinner in basketball and soccer at high school. She transferred schools during her high school career.

Danni Scully, a 6-1 freshman forward, was a four-year letterwinner at Nazareth Academy. She was a team captain and received several awards.

2024-25 MAC Preseason Poll

The Ohio women's basketball team was selected to finish sixth, tied with NIU, in the 2024-25 MAC Preseason Coaches' Poll. They earned 64 points and were chosen to finish above Miami (OH), Akron, Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, and Central Michigan. Ball State was selected to finish first with 10 first-place votes, followed by Kent State with two first-place votes.

2024-25 Preseason All-MAC

Junior guard Jaya McClure was selected to the Preseason All-MAC Second Team. Last season, she was named an All-MAC Honorable Mention after appearing in 22 games and making 17 starts. She concluded the season with 278 points, 12.6 points per game, 75 assists, 35 steals, and 56 rebounds.

Bobcats Staff: Familiar Faces

Ohio returns almost its entire coaching staff from last season. Associate Head Coach Tavares Jackson joins head coach Bob Bolden in their 12th season with the Bobcats. Assistant Coach Chelsea Welch enters her third season, and Director of Operations Ebony Pegues enters her fourth season with the program. Kaylee Gregory Bambule has been promoted to an assistant coach.

Up Next

The Bobcats will travel to Wright State for a game on Sunday, Nov. 24. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be available to watch on ESPN+.