UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – Nicole Heffington poured in 29 points to lead John Carroll University to a 73-67 victory over the Wilmington College women’s basketball team in Ohio Athletic Conference action Saturday afternoon.
Wilmington made five more field goals than John Carroll, but the Blue Streaks made 11-of-19 attempts (57.9 percent) from three-point range despite coming into the game shooting 26.1 percent from distance. John Carroll also held a 14-2 edge in free throws made.
Heffington led all scorers with 29 points to go along with seven rebounds for John Carroll. Abby Alder added 16 points for on 5-of-8 shooting.
Hannah Binkley led Wilmington with a career high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field to go along with 3-of-3 on triple tries. Mackenzie Campbell and Savannah Hooper both scored 15 points while Harman had 10 points and Faith Teaford grabbed eight rebounds.
“Hannah Binkley gave us a big lift tonight,” WC coach Jerry Scheve said.
Heffington scored two of the Blue Streaks’ first three baskets to give the hosts an 7-2 lead in the first two-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter. Wilmington answered with a 7-0 run fueled by two layups from Emily Harman and a three-pointer from Kelly Noll.
John Carroll would lead by as many has seven (16-9) in the first quarter, but a three-pointer and a free throw from Hannah Binkley cut the Fightin’ Quakers’ deficit to three points after 10 minutes.
Midway through the second quarter, another three-pointer from Hannah Binkley broke a 20-20 deadlock to give Wilmington a three-point lead. The Blue Streaks doubled up the Quakers over the final 5:31, however, to take a 38-32 lead into halftime.
Hooper, who ended the first half with a basket, opened the second half with a layup to get the visitors within 38-34, but Wilmington was on the wrong end of a 12-4 run over the next five minutes as John Carroll led 57-44 after three quarters.
The Blue Streaks’ lead ballooned to 65-48 midway through the fourth quarter, but the Quakers rallied to within four points 68-64 as a Michelle Lee layup fell through with 1:05 to play in regulation. Wilmington could not get closer as John Carroll nailed down the win at the free throw line.
The Quakers (8-7, 3-5 OAC) conclude the first round of conference play by hosting Otterbein University on Wednesday. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
