COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's basketball team won for the fifth time in a row and the eighth time in its last nine games Wednesday, downing Wilmington 76-60 in an Ohio Athletic Conference contest at the Capital Center.
Sophomore Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio; at right) scored a game-high 20 points for the Crusaders (13-5 overall, 8-3 OAC), who forced 27 turnovers and shot an efficient 50.0 percent for the game.
Capital forced 18 first-half turnovers and scored 12 second-chance points on the Quakers (10-8, 5-6) to forge a 41-26 halftime lead.
The Crusaders held on in the second half despite allowing 20 second-chance points, shooting 15-of-22 from the free throw line. Senior Shalena Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored 11 of her 19 points in the second period.
The victory was redemption for Capital, which suffered a 49-30 setback at Wilmington on Nov. 30, 2011.
"We played very well in the first half, but in the second half our intensity wasn't quite there," Capital coach Dixie Jeffers said. "We need to find a way to come out better, and we need to box out and rebound. It was a physical game … we handled it much better this time around."
Junior Stacy Timmerman (New Bremen, Ohio) added eight points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Crusaders, who now sit alone in third place, two games behind first-place Mount Union.
A 12-1 run midway through the first half, capped by a layup by Will at the 5:54 mark, gave Capital a 28-13 advantage. The Crusaders extended their lead to 18 on a 3-point play by Will just two minutes later.
In the second, Capital led by as many as 19 before the Quakers fought back to whittle the deficit down to 54-43 with 10:20 to play. Wilmington would get no closer, as senior Hilary Kuhns (Fairfield, Ohio) scored two straight buckets to push the Crusader lead back to 15 with 7:28 on the clock.
Kuhns finished with 10 points and four blocks.
Capital resumes play this Saturday at home against No. 10 Mount Union. Game time at the Capital Center is slated for 3 p.m.
Sophomore Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio; at right) scored a game-high 20 points for the Crusaders (13-5 overall, 8-3 OAC), who forced 27 turnovers and shot an efficient 50.0 percent for the game.
Capital forced 18 first-half turnovers and scored 12 second-chance points on the Quakers (10-8, 5-6) to forge a 41-26 halftime lead.
The Crusaders held on in the second half despite allowing 20 second-chance points, shooting 15-of-22 from the free throw line. Senior Shalena Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) scored 11 of her 19 points in the second period.
The victory was redemption for Capital, which suffered a 49-30 setback at Wilmington on Nov. 30, 2011.
"We played very well in the first half, but in the second half our intensity wasn't quite there," Capital coach Dixie Jeffers said. "We need to find a way to come out better, and we need to box out and rebound. It was a physical game … we handled it much better this time around."
Junior Stacy Timmerman (New Bremen, Ohio) added eight points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Crusaders, who now sit alone in third place, two games behind first-place Mount Union.
A 12-1 run midway through the first half, capped by a layup by Will at the 5:54 mark, gave Capital a 28-13 advantage. The Crusaders extended their lead to 18 on a 3-point play by Will just two minutes later.
In the second, Capital led by as many as 19 before the Quakers fought back to whittle the deficit down to 54-43 with 10:20 to play. Wilmington would get no closer, as senior Hilary Kuhns (Fairfield, Ohio) scored two straight buckets to push the Crusader lead back to 15 with 7:28 on the clock.
Kuhns finished with 10 points and four blocks.
Capital resumes play this Saturday at home against No. 10 Mount Union. Game time at the Capital Center is slated for 3 p.m.
