Ohio Northern University 5-foot-10 senior center Brittany Bogart (Northwood) and 5-9 sophomore guard Katelyn Jones (Gibsonburg) are seeing plenty of college basketball action.

Bogart is averaging 5.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, is 45-of-93 from the field (48 percent), 42-of-63 from the free throw line (67 percent), and has 21 assists, 12 steals, and blocked six shots in 26 games played, 15 of which she started. Jones has scored 11 points with six assists, five steals, and blocked one shot in 23 games.

Ohio Northern advanced to the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament semifinal after a 75-68 win over No. 6 seeded Muskingum in the opening round last Tuesday night in the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears (17-9) are seeded No. 3 in the tournament and were to face the winner between No. 2 Baldwin-Wallace and No. 7 seeded John Carroll.

“It was a very close game and Muskingum showed that they came to win,” ONU coach Michele Durand said. “I was pleased with how our team played in the second half. It was overall a great team effort.”

Ohio Northern senior Brittany Bogart looks to score. (Photo by Jose Nogueras/ONU Sports Information)

Northern jumped out to its largest lead of the first half at 12-6 on a three-point play by Bogart.

Earlier in the season, Ohio Northern saluted its seniors with a 66-60 conference win over Wilmington. The three seniors, Bogart, Jeanne Bockey (Delphos St. John’s), and Brittany Schroeder (Leipsic), combined for 21 of ONU's points. Bogart chipped in five points and six rebounds and Schroeder added two points.

As a junior, Bogart started in 17 of the 24 games played and put up 5.6 points per game and brought down 3.7 rebounds.        

“(Bogart) is the workhorse on the team. You can always count on her to get a key rebound or make a play when it counts,” Durand said.

In a 74-68 victory over Heidelberg, Jones sank a jumper with 22 seconds left in the first half sending the Polar Bears into the break ahead, 32-31.

Jones is sharing time at the guard position. As a freshman, she was considered a key off-the-bench player. Jones played in all 27 games last season and recorded 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.

“Katie has really worked hard all summer and is in great shape. Her strength is her ability to shoot off the dribble but I think she can help us in many areas this year,” Durand said as Jones’ sophomore season began.

Howard in showdown
Something had to give last Thursday night in Coral Gables, Florida. Florida State University 6-foot-3 freshman center Natasha Howard (Waite) may have had something to do with the end result.

Howard has started in every game for FSU and is fourth on the team in scoring at 11.6 points and second in rebounding at 6.5. After 22 games, she had 19 assists, 20 steals, and blocked 19 shots. She is even third on the team in 3-point goals with 12. She is shooting 49 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the arc.

Thursday, No. 12 Florida State played at No. 14 Miami’s BankUnited Center in a televised game. Not short on storylines, the showdown between in-state rivals featured two squads that were tied for first in the Atlantic Coast Conference with just two games to go.

And if that wasn’t enough, the Seminoles (22-5, 10-2 ACC) boasted an undefeated conference road-record at 6-0 while the Hurricanes (24-3, 10-2) were 19-0 at home.

Thursday’s game could wind up deciding the regular-season ACC champion. With 10 wins apiece, both FSU and Miami could do no worse than share the crown if one or the other wins its final two contests. Duke also has 10 wins and closed out its schedule at home against nationally-ranked North Carolina on Sunday.

Should FSU have beaten the Hurricanes, Howard’s team would finish with a perfect conference road-record for the second time in program history. FSU went 7-0 on the road in the ACC during the 2008-09 season and is 18-2 in league road games since that year.

Sports Announcements
The Lake Township Softball Association will hold sign-ups at St. Peter’s Church in Millbury for 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U on Mar. 5 and Mar. 12 from 12-2p.m. Fees are $50 for 8U and $80 for 10U, 12U, and 14U.

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