Posted: Feb 21, 2015
BEREA, Ohio – Senior forward Audrey Smolik (Strongsville) scored a game-high 15 points as the Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team beat arch-rival Capital University, 58-55 in overtime, in its final regular season and Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center. BW swept the season series from the Crusaders.
BW (19-6, 14-4 OAC) opens OAC Tournament play at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24 in the quarter finals when the Yellow Jackets host the winner of a Monday's first round game in the Ursprung Gym. It will be the first game of a women's and men's OAC tourney doubleheader. The Yellow Jacket men play at 8 p.m.
With her 15 points, Smolik surpassed Kim Luthman (1997-2001) and moved into 13th place on the all-time Yellow Jacket scoring list with 1,015 points. Luthman had 1,002. It also leaves her one point shy of Hall of Famer Jen Nance (1997-2001) who had 1,016.
In addition, the game featured two future Hall of Fame head coaches with more than 500 career wins and who have combined for 1,114 overall. BW's Cheri Harrer is now 507-185 and Capital's Dixie Jeffers has a 607-192 record.
Capital (15-10, 11-7 OAC) was led by junior guard Simone Gage's 12 points.
In the first half, BW grabbed an early, 5-0 lead at 18:51 when sophomore guard Sydney Clark (Parma/ Lake Ridge Academy) canned a three-pointer. Capital went on a 9-0 run to lead 9-5 at 14:53 when Erwin made two foul shots.
The Crusaders also had runs of 6-0 and 8-0 to build a 30-15 advantage at 2:13 when Thompson made a layup. BW scored the final six points of the half and trailed 30-21 when freshman guard Katie Swanson (Elgin, Ill./ St. Edward Central Catholic) made two foul shots.
In the second half, Capital took ma 32-21 lead before the Yellow Jackets outscored the Crusaders 23-11 to take the lead at 44-43 at 4:56 when Clark grabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast and canned a 5-foot jumper in the lane. The lead grew to 52-46 at 2:07 when Smolik made both ends of a one-and-one foul.
Undaunted, Capital scored six straight points to tie it at 52-52 when Gage connected on two foul shots with 1:10 left. It was the only tie of the game. Capital had one chance to win it, but turned the ball over. BW had its chance at the end of regulations but a 40-footer by junior guard Janaya Feater (Akron/ Hoban) hit the front end of the rim and bounded away.
In overtime, Capital scored the first three points to lead 55-52 at 3:22 before a Feaster jumper at 2:24 cut the deficit to 55-54. Smolik gave BW a 56-55 lead with a layup off a nice out-of-bounds play and pass from Feaster.
Capital had two chances to win. On the first, it turned the ball over on a charging foul. Following a free throw by sophomore point guard Mackenzie Colombo (Strasburg) with 16.5 seconds left to give BW a 57-55 lead, the Crusaders took a three-pointer and missed and Feaster grabbed the rebound with 3.6 seconds left, and she was fouled. Feaster made the first charity toss to make it 58-55, but missed the second. A desperation three-pointer by Gage at the buzzer was long and BW survived.
The 2015 OAC men's and women's basketball tournaments are set up in two separate and different formats.
The women's tourney involves a double-bye system with the top two seeds, No.1 Ohio Northern University and No.2 John Carroll University not playing until Thursday's semifinals. The Championship game is on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the highest remaining seed at 3 p.m. For more information on the 2015 OAC Tournament, please visit the OAC web site at www.oac.org.
The men's tourney begins on Tuesday with the quarter finals, the semifinals are on Thursday, Feb. 26 and the Championship Game is on Saturday. For more information on the 2015 OAC Tournament, please visit the OAC web site at www.oac.org.
BW (19-6, 14-4 OAC) opens OAC Tournament play at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 24 in the quarter finals when the Yellow Jackets host the winner of a Monday's first round game in the Ursprung Gym. It will be the first game of a women's and men's OAC tourney doubleheader. The Yellow Jacket men play at 8 p.m.
With her 15 points, Smolik surpassed Kim Luthman (1997-2001) and moved into 13th place on the all-time Yellow Jacket scoring list with 1,015 points. Luthman had 1,002. It also leaves her one point shy of Hall of Famer Jen Nance (1997-2001) who had 1,016.
In addition, the game featured two future Hall of Fame head coaches with more than 500 career wins and who have combined for 1,114 overall. BW's Cheri Harrer is now 507-185 and Capital's Dixie Jeffers has a 607-192 record.
Capital (15-10, 11-7 OAC) was led by junior guard Simone Gage's 12 points.
In the first half, BW grabbed an early, 5-0 lead at 18:51 when sophomore guard Sydney Clark (Parma/ Lake Ridge Academy) canned a three-pointer. Capital went on a 9-0 run to lead 9-5 at 14:53 when Erwin made two foul shots.
The Crusaders also had runs of 6-0 and 8-0 to build a 30-15 advantage at 2:13 when Thompson made a layup. BW scored the final six points of the half and trailed 30-21 when freshman guard Katie Swanson (Elgin, Ill./ St. Edward Central Catholic) made two foul shots.
In the second half, Capital took ma 32-21 lead before the Yellow Jackets outscored the Crusaders 23-11 to take the lead at 44-43 at 4:56 when Clark grabbed a rebound and went coast-to-coast and canned a 5-foot jumper in the lane. The lead grew to 52-46 at 2:07 when Smolik made both ends of a one-and-one foul.
Undaunted, Capital scored six straight points to tie it at 52-52 when Gage connected on two foul shots with 1:10 left. It was the only tie of the game. Capital had one chance to win it, but turned the ball over. BW had its chance at the end of regulations but a 40-footer by junior guard Janaya Feater (Akron/ Hoban) hit the front end of the rim and bounded away.
In overtime, Capital scored the first three points to lead 55-52 at 3:22 before a Feaster jumper at 2:24 cut the deficit to 55-54. Smolik gave BW a 56-55 lead with a layup off a nice out-of-bounds play and pass from Feaster.
Capital had two chances to win. On the first, it turned the ball over on a charging foul. Following a free throw by sophomore point guard Mackenzie Colombo (Strasburg) with 16.5 seconds left to give BW a 57-55 lead, the Crusaders took a three-pointer and missed and Feaster grabbed the rebound with 3.6 seconds left, and she was fouled. Feaster made the first charity toss to make it 58-55, but missed the second. A desperation three-pointer by Gage at the buzzer was long and BW survived.
The 2015 OAC men's and women's basketball tournaments are set up in two separate and different formats.
The women's tourney involves a double-bye system with the top two seeds, No.1 Ohio Northern University and No.2 John Carroll University not playing until Thursday's semifinals. The Championship game is on Saturday, Feb. 28 at the highest remaining seed at 3 p.m. For more information on the 2015 OAC Tournament, please visit the OAC web site at www.oac.org.
The men's tourney begins on Tuesday with the quarter finals, the semifinals are on Thursday, Feb. 26 and the Championship Game is on Saturday. For more information on the 2015 OAC Tournament, please visit the OAC web site at www.oac.org.
