General 3/1/2021 12:00:00 AM

PAW PRINTS: The Week Ahead in Ohio Athletics

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ATHENS, Ohio – Another week, another season-opening weekend for two Bobcat squads, and both men's and women's basketball teams are in the final week of regular season action before they head to Cleveland. Check out what's happening in Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints.

It's the final week of the regular season for Ohio men's basketball (13-7, 9-5 MAC). The Bobcats open the week on Tuesday, March 2 when they head to Kent State to take on the Flashes. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. and will be seen on ESPN+. Ohio is back in action Friday, March 5 against Bowling Green. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. inside the Stroh Center and can be seen on ESPN3/+.

Ohio is coming off a week where they played three games in five days, defeating Akron and Eastern Michigan, before falling to Buffalo on Saturday. Leading the Bobcats this season is junior guard Jason Preston (Orlando, Fla.) with 15.8 points 7.4 rebounds and 7.7 assists, followed by senior forward Dwight Wilson III (Tallahassee, Fla.) with 15.6 points and 7.5 boards a game. while shooting 70.5 percent from the field. Redshirt junior forward Ben Vander Plas adds 3.0 points and 5.7 rebounds, while sophomore forward Ben Roderick (Powell, Ohio) and sophomore guard Lunden McDay (Akron. Ohio) all average double digits in scoring.

Kent State (15-6, 12-5 MAC) is coming off of a 64-51 victory at Miami on Saturday. Meanwhile, Bowling Green (14-9. 10-7) is coming off of an 83-71 win at Akron on Friday and will face off with Miami on Tuesday before hosting the Bobcats.

The Bobcats fell to both Kent State and Bowling Green earlier this year. The Bobcats and Falcons faced off on Dec. 30, 2020 in the MAC opener, with Ohio falling 83-75. Ohio and the Flashes battled inside the Convo on Jan. 16, with Ohio falling, 89-79.

Ohio women's basketball (12-6, 10-5 MAC) are finally back in action this week for the final week of the regular season. The Bobcats begin the week on Wednesday, March 3 when Ohio heads to Akron to take on the Zips. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. inside the JAR and can be seen on ESPN+. The Bobcats wrap up the regular season on Saturday, March 6 when Ohio hosts Miami. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN3/+.

Ohio is led by senior guard Cece Hooks (Dayton, Ohio) who is averaging 25.7 points and 6.2 rebounds a game. Redshirt junior forward Erica Johnson (Mansfield, Ohio) adds 19.5 points and 5.9 boards, while senior forward Gabby Burris (Baltimore, Ohio) adds 13.3 points a game.

Akron (6-13, 3-13) are coming off of a 79-64 loss against Bowling Green on Saturday, while Miami (4-18, 3-15) is coming off of a 61-58 victory over Kent State on Saturday. The RedHawks will take on Buffalo on Wednesday before coming to Athens.

Ohio defeated Akron, 85-55 on Jan. 30 and defeated Miami, 72-63 on Jan. 6.

SOCCER
Thursday, March 4 vs. Miami | 3 p.m. ET | Athens, Ohio | Chessa Field | Live Stats | @OhioWSoccer
Sunday, March 7 at Bowling Green | 3 p.m. ET | Athens, Ohio | Cochrane Stadium | Live Stats | @OhioWSoccer

For the first time since November of 2019, the Ohio soccer team will compete. The Bobcats open the 2020-21 regular season on Thursday, March 4 when they host Miami. First touch is set for 3 p.m. at Chessa Field. Ohio is back in action on Sunday, March 7 when they head to Bowling Green, Ohio to take on the Falcons. First touch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Cochrane Stadium.

The Bobcats last saw action on Nov. 8, 2019 in the MAC Tournament Semifinals where they fell to Eastern Michigan.

Ohio soccer finished the 2019 season with 11 wins, the most since 2002. The Bobcats advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament while Alivia Milesky's 10 goals were the most by a single player since 2008 and the fourth-most in program history. Two Bobcats – Milesky and Abby Townsend – were named All-MAC First Team while Victoria Breeden earned All-MAC Second Team honors.

Ohio returns junior forward Townsend (Powell, Ohio) who finished 2019 with five goals and 12 assists, totaling 22 points. Townsend led the team with 67 shots, 35 of which were on goal and two of her five goals were game winning.

The Bobcats also return seniors Paige Knorr (Cincinnati, Ohio), Jenni Santacaterina (Geneva, Ill.), Konstantina Giannou (Riza, Greece), Paige Pappanastos (Orland Park, Ill.) Sarina Dirrig (Powell, Ohio) and Sydney Malham(Nashville, Tenn.)

Juniors Olivia Sensky (Powell, Ohio) and Morgan Collica (Aurora, Ohio) also return to the pitch in the green and white. The Bobcats will welcome 11 newcomers to the roster for this season.

Miami finished last season 4-13-1, while Bowling Green finished 14-6-3 and were the 2019 MAC Regular Season and Tournament Champions.

The Bobcats (4-3, 4-3 MAC) are back in action this week with two games. After missing the last four matches, Ohio returns to Athens to host Ball State starting Thursday, March 4. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m. in ESPN3. Ohio closes out the weekend on Friday, March 5 at 2 p.m. against the same Cardinal squad.

Ohio last played on Feb. 18, falling to Bowling Green, 3-1.

Freshman libero Sam Steele (Omaha, Neb.) leads the Bobcats with 177 digs and is averaging 6.56 digs per set. Steele has already been named the MAC East Defensive Player of the Week three times this season. Meanwhile, junior outside hitter Lauren Park (Millersburg, Ohio) leads Ohio with 91 kills, followed by redshirt freshman middle blocker Caitlin O'Farrell (Suwanee, Ga.) with 67. After three weeks of play, senior setter Vera Giacomazzi (San Vendemiano, Italy) leads Ohio with 172 assists, while freshman setter Tria McLean (Battle Creek, Neb.) averages 11.18 assists per set.

Ball State (5-5, 5-5 MAC) have lost four-straight matches, most recently to Northern Illinois Feb. 18-19. The Cardinals were originally scheduled to play Western Michigan last week, however those matches were postponed.

The Ohio baseball team (3-3) returns to action this weekend for a four-game set against Milwaukee. Game one is scheduled for Friday, March 5 at 4 p.m. inside Bob Wren Stadium. The Bobcats and Milwaukee face off in a doubleheader on Saturday, March 6 starting at 1 p.m., before closing out the weekend with a single game on Sunday. Match 7 at Noon ET.

Ohio is coming off of a 1-1 weekend in Athens. Ohio defeated Morehead State, 6-0 in game one, where junior left-handed starting pitcher Joe Rock (Aliquippa, Pa.) threw a no-hitter. The Bobcats then fell in game two, 3-1 in 11 innings. The Bobcats were then to face-off with Morehead State in Morehead, Ky, however, rain forced that doubleheader to be canceled.

Through five games, senior Isaiah Peterson (Lincoln, Neb.) leads Ohio with a .450 batting average, recording nine hits and three doubles in 20 at bats. Redshirt senior Joe Weisenseel (Strongsville, Ohio) added five hits for Ohio and five RBI. On the mound, senior Edward Kutt IV (Westlake, Calif.) registered a 1.12 ERA in eight innings pitched, while Rock is 1-1 on the season with a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings with 18 strikeouts.

Milwaukee is currently 0-3 on the season after opening its season last weekend at Kentucky, dropping all three games.

The Ohio swimming and diving squad return to Athens for the final time this season on Saturday, March 6 when Ohio takes on Eastern Michigan. The meet is set to begin at 11 a.m. inside the Ohio University Aquatics Center.

Saturday will serve as senior day for the Bobcats. Ohio will honor seniors Carolyn Bischoff (New Hudson, Mich.), Katie Garrity (Eagan, Minn.), Sam Glass (Villa Hills, Ky.) and Katelyn O'Brien (Williams Bay, Wis.) before the start of the meet.

Ohio last competed Feb. 26-28 at the Akron Last Chance Meet in Akron, Ohio. The full squad will be back in action again on Saturday, March 20 when they head to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami before heading to Ypsilanti, Mich. April 15-17 for the 2021 MAC Championships.

WEEKLY RECAP

SWIMMING AND DIVING
At Akron Last Chance Meet | Recap | Results

TRACK & FIELD
At MAC Championships | Recap | Results

BASEBALL
DH vs. Morehead State | Recap | Gm. 1 Box Score | Gm. 2 Box Score | Photos

WRESTLING
At MAC Championships | Day 1 Recap | Day 1 Results | Day 2 Recap | Day 2 Results

#OUohyeah

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