So far, Rebecca Bisbee is having quite a season. Her team is having a pretty good season as well.

The Northwood shooting guard, who is currently averaging 16 points, has been instrumental in the Rangers’ turnaround. After starting 1-2, which included blowout losses to Lake (73-36) and Ottawa Hills (64-30), the Rangers (5-3, 3-1) have won four of five and three straight in the Toledo Area Athletic Conference, putting them in third place.

The team, which starts five seniors, is a tight knit group that is quite familiar with one another. In fact, some of them played together on the Northwood soccer team that went 16-3 and won the Northwest Ohio Soccer League this season.  

“It helps that we’re expe

rienced and we know each other well,” said Bisbee, who, in addition to playing two sports, is a member of The National Honor Society and Key Club, a service organization. “We play like a team more than we have (before). Our team is definitely the closest it’s been.”

Offensively, the Rangers like to get up and down the floor and score points in transition. Thus far, Northwood’s offense has been explosive, averaging 50.2 points, including 59.2 in five victories. On the other end, the team, which goes eight-deep, employs a 2-3 zone as a way to limit any one player having too much pressure on them defensively.

One of the team’s primary goals is to advance out of their sectional, a task that will require them to shoot better from the perimeter and play tougher defense. First-year coach Bill Hamilton says that is something that has been lacking at times.

Bisbee, a three-year starter, has come a long way as a scorer. Her average is a vast improvement over her output from the previous two seasons, when she averaged 9.5 and 8.2 points. She’s been the team’s leading scorer in six of eight games, highlighted by her 35-point performance in the Rangers’ 74-25 win over Emmanuel Christian.

Hamilton is pleased with how his star player has performed.

“Overall, she’s done a nice job,” said Hamilton, who previously served as the school’s athletic director. “She truly is a good player and (she) makes good decisions.”

Besides her stellar play on the court this season, she’s been a good teammate and leader, as Hamilton will attest to.

“Becca’s really stepped up this season,” Hamilton said. “She’s been a leader on and off the court (and) has shown some good leadership skills. She’s bought into what we’re trying to do,” he said, referring to a new system being implemented by his staff.

Following graduation, Bisbee, who maintains a 3.8 grade-point average, plans on attending the University of Toledo and majoring in pre-pharmacy.

As for the rest of the Rangers, they’ve turned the season into one filled with hope.

Following the defeat to Ottawa Hills on Dec. 8, the Rangers have won four out of five, including conference victories over Emmanuel, Danbury (54-44) and Gibsonburg (54-42).

The starting lineup, comprised entirely of seniors, includes Bisbee, point guard Anna Raymond (11.1 points), small forward Sandy Koch (8 points), and Alayna Martinez and Alysha Henzler manning the post positions.

One thing working against the Rangers is their lack of size.

Aside from reserve center Kelly Sawmiller, who stands 6-feet-2, the starting lineup relies on mid-sized players. Raymond and Martinez are both 5-7, Bisbee is 5-6 and Koch and Henzler each stand at 5-5.

Despite being undersized in the post, Koch and Henzler have held their own down low.

“They don’t get much credit,” said Bisbee, “but they’re down there and they battle a lot.”

The Rangers, who trail Ottawa Hills and Toledo Christian in the conference, are hoping to create some breathing room between themselves and the rest of the TAAC and sustain their third place spot. If Northwood has any chance of establishing itself as one of the elite teams, it must defeat Toledo Christian in their Jan. 14 matchup.

Regardless of how many games the team wins, they’ve earned the respect of their head coach.

“They really have worked hard,” said Hamilton. “They have a commitment to themselves and the program and want to have success.”

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