The core four’s 5 years ASHLEY BEACH ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Cece Hooks, Gabby Burris, Erica Johnson and Kaylee Bambule have been with the Bobcats since the first day of their collegiate careers. They’ve felt heartbreak, and they’ve seen success, but it’s always been together. They’re teammates, but most importantly, they’re best friends. Before Ohio Hooks and Johnson began their journey together before coming to Ohio. They played Amateur Athletic Union basketball together on the All-Ohio team in the eighth grade, and both received offers to play from Ohio coach Bob Boldon. A few years later, on the other side of the Ohio river, Burris was playing for the West Virginia Thunder Gold team under coach Scott Johnson. Burris was a standout forward on the team for her versatility. Her talent also earned her an offer from Boldon. Two states over, Bambule was playing for Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, Illinois. The guard had previously earned First-Team All-State honors and
was dubbed an ESPN 3-star recruit. Her ability to hit a strong 3-pointer earned her an offer as well. On Nov. 11, 2016, Ohio announced that it had added six commitments for the class of 2020. Hooks, Johnson, Burris and Bambule were all included on the list. In fact, Hooks and Johnson spoke to each other before making their decision. “We talked about coming here together,” Johnson said. “We called each other before making our final decisions, and we decided to come here together.” The early years In the fall of 2017, five bright-eyed freshmen arrived in Athens with the dream of winning a Mid-American Conference Championship — one of whom transferred after one year. That season, Johnson redshirted to recover from a knee procedure while her peers began their collegiate careers. Bambule ate minutes here and there for the Bobcats in a true freshman role, but Hooks and Burris took off. Burris played in 31 games for the Bobcats and started in 10 of those. She was a force to be reckoned with, and it earned
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her All-Freshman team honors. Hooks, however, left her mark on the record books in her first season. She broke the program record for single season steals with 100 and earned the MAC Freshman of the Year award. It wasn’t long before Ohio realized it had a catalyst on its hands. The 2018-19 season was one to remember. That batch of Bobcats became the first in program history to win 30 games in a season. It was also the year that Hooks became the 16th 1,000-point scorer in Ohio history. It was also the year Johnson came back — in a big way. The then-redshirt freshman earned MAC Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year. Johnson became a staple in the Bobcats’ lineup in the latter half of the season, joining Burris and Hooks in the starting five. Bambule was a regular off the bench for the Bobcats that season, even earning time in the MAC Tournament championship game. Ohio may have lost to Buffalo 77-61 that day, but it had learned what the young talent on the team could do. The 2019-20 season started off as usual. Ohio was barrelling through its nonconference schedule and making waves along the way. Its first splash was Nov. 10, 2019, when Johnson recorded the first triple-double in program history. She grabbed 24 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists against American University to notch her name in the books. That day is still one of Johnson’s favorites. Seven days later, Ohio defeated Ohio State in Columbus for the first time in school history. Burris, Johnson and Hooks all took part in the win. That day still lives fresh in Boldon’s mind as one of his favorite moments coaching. Later that season, Burris and Johnson earned their membership to the 1,000-point club. Burris scored hers against Miami in March, and Johnson notched hers against Western Michigan in the MAC Tournament. Then, something out of their control hit the Bobcats. The COVID-19 pandemic ended their chances at a MAC Championship after only one round of the tournament. “That moment was taken away from them,” Boldon said. “I think once you go through that, you learn to appreciate the moments.” But there were still more moments to come for the Bobcats. 2020-21: The COVID-19
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New regulations were set in stone for the 2020-21 season regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The four were about to experience basketball like they never had before: with cardboard cut-outs in The Convo seats. Limited attendance was allowed for families, but no one else could attend the games. Ohio marched on, though. It skated by in a short nonconference schedule, defeating Notre Dame at the last second and started off conference play with hesitation. The Bobcats were jumping back and forth between winning and losing for the majority of the first half — until they played Buffalo. Bambule was still not a regular starter at that point, unlike her classmates. She was fighting for minutes wherever she could get them. She only tallied four minutes against the Bulls. However, they were important.
