BEXLEY, Ohio — The Wilmington College women’s basketball never trailed in a 59-50, wire-to-wire Ohio Athletic Conference victory over Capital at the Capital Center Wednesday evening.
The loss avenges a 71-58 defeat at the hands of the Comets earlier this season.
“I felt for the majority of the game, we executed our defensive game plan well tonight,” head coach Janel Blankespoor said. “We were able to set a tone early in the game and sustain it through the remainder of the contest.”
The Quakers won the rebounding battle 42-27 and outscored the Comets in bench points 21-4.
Kyria Walker led all scorers with a career-high 16 points in 21 minutes off the bench while Kennedy Lewis and Zahrya Bailey also scored in double figures. Jada Pohlen added seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks while Cassidy Lovett grabbed 10 rebounds.
Samaree Perkins led Capital in defeat with 13 points.
Wilmington (12-8, 6-7 OAC) hosts Mount Union 4 p.m. Saturday.
Wilmington scored the first six points of the game and didn’t allow the hosts a shot for three minutes as Capital started the game with four consecutive turnovers. Two free throws for the league’s leading scorer, Bri O’Connor, followed by a three from reigning OAC Freshman of the Year Laney Murphy made the score 6-5. The Quakers answered with a basket from Lovett and a three from Marisa Seiler. Two more baskets from Capital followed, but a three from Lewis and a Walker layup gave the visitors an 18-9 lead after 10 minutes.
The Quakers opened a dozen-point advantage midway through the second quarter on a Lewis basket, but the Comets, who won the game in Wilmington earlier in the season due to a run to end the half, closed it to single digits (32-23) on a Demi Brewer basket to end the half. Wilmington opened the second half on an 11-3 run capped by a JaKaia Lotz free throw for a 42-26 advantage, their largest of the game.
The Quakers hit free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
