WILMINGTON, Ohio – The No. 12 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team extended its win streak to six games as it prevailed by a final score of 85-61 in its Ohio Athletic Conference matchup against Wilmington College in Fred Raizk Arena.
With the win, BW (14-1, 8-0 OAC) earned its fifth consecutive victory against Wilmington (8-7, 4-4 OAC) and improved its all-time series record against the Quakers to 33-16. The Yellow Jackets kept their perfect OAC record in tact, earning their eighth straight win in conference play. BW was also able to attain its second-highest single-game scoring total this season, while limiting the OAC-leading Wilmington offense to 22 points below its season-average.
The BW offense was led by a four scorers in double-figures. Senior All-OAC guard/forward Hannah Fecht (Hilliard/Davidson) scored a game-high 19 points, including five three-pointers. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Riley Schill (Sheffield Village/Elyria Cathlic) poured in 13 points, and added two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Senior Academic All-OAC guard/foward Kara Marshall (Copley/Akron Archbishop) garnered 10 points to go along with seven boards, while sophomore forward Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky) provided a spark off the bench with 10 points, three rebounds, and one steal as well.
The Wilmington attack was spearheaded by freshman guard Zahrya Bailey and the OAC's leading scorer, junior guard McKayla Binkley. Bailey scored a team-high 13 points on 6-7 shooting, in addition to four rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Meanwhile, M. Binkley accumulated totals of 12 points, three boards, two dishes and one block in the defeat.
Despite leading its adversaries 7-3 early on, BW would surrender the next seven points to fall in an early hole midway through the first quarter. Wilmington capitalized on a hot first quarter from senior guard Kelly Noll, who scored nine points in the first frame, and sank a three-pointer with three seconds left to give her team a five-point cushion heading into the second. The Yellow Jackets would not be discouraged, as they used a 15-4 run from the 7:43 to 2:23 mark to take the lead. Spurred from the momentum swing, BW would cling on to a six-point lead come halftime.
Not content with just regaining the lead, the Yellow Jackets used four three-pointers and a sound 26.7 percent opposition-scoring defense to erupt for a 13-4 run to begin the second half. While the latter portion of the third quarter presenting an exchange of baskets between the two squads, BW was able to construct a 17-6 run over a 6:46 span, watching its lead balloon to a game-high 26 points midway through the fourth period. The Yellow jackets also shot a perfect 100 percent from beyond the arc (3-3) and from the free throw line (4-4) for the entire fourth quarter, on their way to securing a convincing 24-point victory.
BW will return to the court on Wednesday, January 22 when it travels to University Heights to take on crosstown rival John Carroll University for a No. 1 versus No. 2 OAC bout in the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center at 7:00 p.m.