The Wilmington College women’s basketball team opened the season with a weekend split against Ohio Northern University.
On Saturday, ONU escaped Hermann Court with a 53-52 win.
Neither team led by more than five points in the first half. The Polar Bears led 18-13 early in the second quarter while the Fightin’ Quakers grabbed a 31-26 lead at halftime as Cassidy Lovett scored the last bucket of the half.
Ironically, the contest played over very similar to the next before, except in reverse. The third quarter, which was won by Wilmington on Friday, was won by ONU 13-6 on Saturday, giving the visitors a 39-37 lead after three. The Polar Bears would take a seven-point lead on an Annie Weckesser layup midway through the quarter, but a quick 6-0 spurt from the Quakers, thanks to an old-fashioned, three-point play from Kennedy Lewis and a triple from Hannah Binkley, got the hosts within a single point (48-47).
ONU scored on its next possession, but McKayla Binkley nailed a three-pointer with two minutes to go, tying the game 50-50. Unfortunately for the Quakers, Jaidyn Hale connected for three of her game-high 17 points on the next possession on a triple from the top of the arc.
Trailing 53-50, McKayla Binkley was fouled with a minute to play and made two free throws to pull within one. After a defensive stop, Wilmington, just like ONU the night before, got possession back with a chance to win it. A Lewis’ three was off the mark and the Polar Bears escaped with the win.
Three Quakers – McKayla Binkley, Hannah Binkley and Michelle Lee – finished in double figures while Lewis dished out five assists.
Wilmington (1-1) continues its season with two games against Muskingum University next weekend.
On Friday, WC snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Polar Bears 61-59.
“I am so happy for our players to get a chance to compete,” said Janel Blankespoor, interim women’s head coach during Jerry Scheve’s leave of absence.. “Tonight was a sense of normalcy, within the lines of the basketball court, that we haven’t experienced in nearly a year.”
McKayla Binkley led with 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots. Hannah Binkley had 16 points.
Zahrya Bailey came off the bench with 13 points. Elise Carpenter and Haley Cook had five rebounds each.
Kennedy Lewis handed out six assists and came up with three steals.
Bailey’s three-pointer with 3:59 to play in the fourth put WC on top 57-56. With 2:16 to go, McKayla Binkley made two free throws then Bailey added two more with 1:01 to go.
SUMMARY
Jan 23, 2021
@Fred Raizk Arena
Ohio Northern 53 Wilmington 52
WC^13^18^6^15^^52
ONU^16^10^13^14^^53
(52) WILMINGTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Cook 1-1-0-3 Lee 4-3-0-11 Lewis 3-0-1-7 M. Binkley 4-2-4-14 H. Binkley 3-2-2-10 Carpenter 0-0-1-1 Bailey 2-0-0-4 Miller 0-0-0-0 Jones 0-0-0-0 Lovett 1-0-0-2 Stover 0-0-0-0 Rickman 0-0-0-0 TOTALS 18-8-8/10-52
(53) OHIO NORTHERN (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Iliff 2-1-0-5 Ward 4-0-2-10 Brock 0-0-0-0 Hale 7-3-0-17 Jacobs 1-0-0-2 Palecek 1-0-0-2 Stahler 3-0-0-6 Serbin 2-0-0-4 Weckesser 2-0-0-4 Luersman 1-1-0-3 TOTALS 23-5-2-53
–
Jan 22, 2021
@ONU
Wilmington 61 Ohio Northern 59
WC^18^10^16^17^^61
ONU^20^14^7^18^^59
(61) WILMINGTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Cook 1-0-1-3 Lee 2-1-0-5 Lewis 1-0-0-2 M. Binkley 8-1-0-17 H. Binkley 5-3-3-16 Bailey 5-1-2-13 Carpenter 0-0-0-0 Nilback 0-0-1-1 Lovett 0-0-0-0 Rickman 0-0-0-0 Miller 0-0-0-0 Stover 2-0-0-4 Jones 0-0-0-0 TOTALS 24-6-7-61
(59) OHIO NORTHERN (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Iliff 4-1-1-10 Ward 3-0-0-6 Brock 2-1-0-5 Hale 1-1-0-3 Jacobs 3-2-0-8 Serbin 0-0-4-4 Palecek 3-3-0-9 Weckesser 1-0-0-2 Stahler 1-0-1-3 Luersman 3-1-2-9 TOTALS 21-9-8-59
