BEREA, Ohio – The No. 11 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team hosted Wilmington College in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center for a big Ohio Athletic Conference matchup. The Yellow Jackets took down the Quakers in the conference contest by a 61-30 score.
The Yellow Jackets (11-3, 8-1 OAC) were led by senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC forward Lilly Edwards (Dublin/Coffman) as she posted a game-high 15 points and seven rebounds on the Quakers (5-11, 1-7 OAC). Edwards went a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe and shot 4-8 from the field. Senior Academic All-OAC forward Megan Scheibelhut (Avon Lake/Elyria Catholic) notched an impressive 12 rebounds and added six points for BW. Scheibelhut also blocked two shots and tallied a steal.
With BW shooting just 4-15 (26.7%) in the first quarter, they outscored the Quakers 14-5. The Yellow Jackets found a groove in the second 10 minutes of play, shooting 8-13 (61.5%), hitting their only three-point attempt, and making 4-4 free throws. BW held a huge defensive presence in the second quarter as well, allowing just one Wilmington point for 8:48 before the break. The Yellow Jackets went into the locker room at the half with a large 35-10 lead.
The Quakers played a strong defensive third quarter, holding BW to 12 points and scoring nine of their own. They forced six Yellow Jacket turnovers and grabbed four steals. BW led going into the last 10 minutes of play, 47-19. BW closed the game shooting 6-13 as a team in the fourth quarter, clinching the 61-30 win.
The Yellow Jackets tallied 30 bench points while notching 28 points in the paint. BW also earned the edge over Wilmington in points from turnovers, 16-6.
Wilmington was led by junior guard Cassidy Lovett as she finished with 13 points and five rebounds. Lovett grabbed two steals.
BW's freshman forward Bella Vaillant (Perrysburg) notched her career high as she tallied nine points and added three rebounds. Freshman forward Caely Ressler (Napoleon) finished with eight rebounds and two points while senior guard Emily Lyon (Wadsworth/Highland) posted four points, three steals, and two boards. Senior Academic All-OAC guard Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky) added five points and three assists.
The Yellow Jackets return to play next Wednesday, January 26 as they host Heidelberg University in another big OAC game. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. in Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.