NEW CONCORD, Ohio – The No. 19 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team defeated Muskingum University in its Ohio Athletic Conference opener by a final score of 54-51 on Performance Court inside the Anne C. Steele Center.
BW (4-2, 1-0 OAC) had three players score in double figures led by junior All-OAC forward Bella Vaillant (Perrysburg) as she recorded her second straight and fifth career double-double with 13 points and a game-high1 3 rebounds. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard/forward Caely Ressler (Napoleon) tallied 11 points, six rebound and two assists. Sophomore guard Leah Riley (Cincinnati/Sycamore) scored a career-high 11 of the Yellow Jackets game-high 24 bench points.
Muskingum (3-3, 0-1 OAC) had two players score in double digits led by sophomore guard Claudia Harrington as she scored a game-high 17 points, including 12 in the first half. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC forward Caitlyn DeMassimo chipped in 11 points.
1st Quarter (BW, 21-19)
- BW raced out to a 16-6 lead on a three-pointer by senior guard Carolyn Wochele (Mentor) at the 5:33 mark.
- Muskingum closed the quarter on an 13-5 run
- The Fighting Muskies outshot the Yellow Jackets 57.1 percent to 50 percent from the field
- BW won the rebound battle by a margin of 9 to 4
2nd Quarter (BW, 36-32)
- Muskingum took its first lead of the game at 28-27 on a triple by senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Taylor DeMassimo at 5:40
- The Yellow Jackets closed out the half on a 9-4 run
3rd Quarter (Musk, 45-44)
- The Fighting Muskies opened the quarter on a 7-0 run to regain the lead at 39-36 on a Taylor DeMassimo layup at the 5:57 mark
- BW scored its first points of the quarter when Riley converted a pair of free throws to cut the lead down to 39-38 at the 5:13 mark
- After each team exchanged a pair of buckets, Muskingum was only able to score four points in the next three minutes with the last coming on a triple by Caitlyn DeMassimo at 1:23
- The Yellow Jackets scored the final four points with the last coming on a layup by Ressler cutting the lead down to one with 13 seconds remaining
4th Quarter (BW, 54-51)
- BW took the lead for good on a jumper by Wochele at 51-49 at the 6:35 mark
- The Yellow Jackets held the Fighting Muskies scoreless for over seven minutes until they scored their final points at 53-51 on a layup by Caitlyn DeMassimo with 1:39 left
- BW scored the final points of the game when Ressler split a pair of free throws with two second remaining
- Muskingum missed a game-tying three-pointer as time expired
- The Yellow Jackets won the rebound battle by a margin of 15-3, including eight crucial defensive rebounds
BW is back in action on Wednesday, December 6 when it travels to University Heights for an OAC game against crosstown rival John Carroll University on Mike Moran Court inside the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center at 7 p.m.