COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's basketball team kept itself in good position for a coveted first-round bye in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament by defeating Baldwin-Wallace 71-39 on Saturday at the Capital Center.
With the victory, the Crusaders (15-8 overall, 10-6 OAC) moved into a tie for fourth place in the conference with the Yellow Jackets with two games to play. The top two teams in the league receive a double-bye to the tournament semifinals, while the No. 3 and 4 teams earn a first-round bye to the second round.
Baldwin-Wallace (15-8, 10-6) plays hosts first-place Mount Union on Wednesday and second-place Ohio Northern next Saturday, while Capital finishes with contests at home against Marietta on Wednesday and at Muskingum next Saturday. The two teams also trail Otterbein by one game for third place.
In Saturday's game, the Crusaders shot 51.7 percent from the floor as four players finished in double-figure scoring. Capital flustered the Yellow Jackets with a full-court press in the first half and a mix of defensive looks throughout the game while holding B-W to just 28.3 percent shooting.
"That was the best game we've played in a month," Capital coach Dixie Jeffers said. "We played with a lot of energy and emotion. When we do that, we can play with anyone in this conference."
Junior Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio; at right) finished with 16 points and five rebounds to lead the Crusaders, who posted 20 assists against just nine turnovers in an efficient offensive performance.
"The past few games, we've been playing more as a team," Will said. "We've been unselfish, just like we were at the beginning of the season. We're all willing to give up the ball to open players."
Seniors Hilary Kuhns (Fairfield, Ohio) and Shalena Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) recorded 14 points apiece, while sophomore Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) added 11 points and four steals off the bench.
Capital came out in the first half with precise ball movement and a decimating press on the defensive end, jumping out to a 13-2 advantage with 13:27 left in the period. The Crusaders, who never trailed in the contest, were out to a 39-22 by the end of the half.
Capital kept it going in the second half and led 49-24 after back-to-back 3-pointers by Kuhns and Will with 14:39 to play. The Yellow Jackets scored just 17 points in the frame on 24.1 percent shooting from the floor.
"Our plan in practice was to throw something new at them, so we mixed up our defenses and pressed to throw a lot at them," Will said. "At the end of the game, Coach told us she wasn't even sure what we were running sometimes, but the effort was definitely there."
The Crusaders outscored Baldwin-Wallace 18-0 off turnovers and held a 12-3 advantage in second-chance points. Sophomore Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) tallied a career-high nine assists.
Capital's game on Wednesday against Marietta is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Kuhns and Hawkins, the team's lone seniors, will be recognized for their career accomplishments prior to their final regular season game at the Capital Center.
