The Wilmington College women's basketball team has a quick turnaround for its non-conference game 5 p.m. Friday with Ohio Wesleyan.
Less 48 hours after walking off the Capital Center court with a 68-59 loss, the Fightin' Quakers will step onto Branch Rickey Court looking to snap a two-game losing streak.
Ohio Wesleyan will be coming off a 10-day break since falling to Ohio Northern 65-61. The Battling Bishops have also lost to Capital 72-65 this season.
"They are a good, solid basketball team with a good mix of three-point shooters and post players," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "They are a well balanced team. We will have to be at our best. The last game before Christmas break on the road is always a tough game. We have to take pride in ourselves and be ready to play."
The Battling Bishops, winless at home this season, doesn't have a single player averaging double figures. Sarah McQuade leads the team with 9.6 points and a team-high 35 assists, while LaNiece McRae comes off the bench for 9.0 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds. Much like their scoring, OWU takes a team approach on the glass. No other player averages more than five boards, but they are beating their opponents on the glass by an average of 1.9 rebounds per contest.
Wilmington is looking for a consistent compliment to senior Haley Howard, who is leading the team with 13.9 points and 37 assists. She is averaging 16.8 points with 16 assists in the last four games. Senior Makenzie Wippel is scoring 11.1 points and a team-high 5.9 rebounds, while freshman Brittaney Jefferson has started to pick up her scoring. The guard is averaging 8.7 points on the season, but 10.8 over the last four games.
The Fightin' Quakers will need either junior Spencer Robles or junior Courtney Tucker to give more production on the wings. They combined to go 0-for-10 with one point in the loss to Capital.
After Friday's game, Wilmington will be off until hosting Mount St. Joseph December 30. The athletic department will honor the 2004 National Championship team during halftime.