MARIETTA, Ohio – The No. 18 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team kept its perfect season in tact with an Ohio Athletic Conference victory over Marietta College by a final score of 72-52 in Ban Johnson Arena.
With the victory, BW (7-0, 3-0 OAC) improved its all-time record against Marietta (3-4, 0-2 OAC) to 54-19. The Yellow Jackets also extended its win streak to seven games to open the season, its longest win streak outright since beginning the 2018-19 campaign with eight straight victories. Depending on the outcome of other events that have transpired entering today's action, BW remains only one of 18 schools left in all of NCAA Division III women's basketball that have yet to surrender a loss this campaign. Furthermore, the Yellow Jackets have still remarkably recorded double-digit wins in every game thus far this year.
BW's offense was led by three scorers in double-figures. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Riley Schill (Sheffield Village/Elyria Catholic) scored a team-high 12 points, and added a game-high four assists and team-high two steals. Senior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC guard Kasey Hughes (Springboro) contributed with 11 points, six rebounds, and two assists. Senior All-OAC guard/forward Hannah Fecht (Hilliard/Davidson) chipped in with 10 points and three boards in the victory as well. Junior forward Sydney Diedrich (Chardon/Gilmour Academy) was the most impactful bench player, pouring in nine points, and securing a game-high seven rebounds.
The Pioneers attack was spearheaded by senior and sophomore forwards Alexis Enochs and Kate Liston, with each of them having scored a game-high 17 points. Liston also grabbed a team-high six boards, and Enochs dished out a team-high three assists in the defeat.
The Yellow Jackets experienced a familiar tremendous start, much like the majority of their games this season. Fuelled by back-to-back three-pointers from Fecht and senior Academic All-OAC guard/forward Kara Marshall (Copley/Akron Archbishop Hoban) in the opening 58 seconds of the game, BW soared to a commanding 15-2 run in the first 7:04 of play. The Yellow Jackets also put together an impressive defensive first period, limiting Marietta to just 21.4 percent shooting from the field. Despite a rough first period for the Pioneers, Marietta refused to let the deficit grow any further at the start of the second quarter. The Pioneers initiated a 14-5 run to begin the second frame, cutting BW's lead to a mere four points at the 5:49 mark. The Yellow Jackets, desperate to retain its advantage facing some adversity, answered back with a 9-1 momentum swing of their own to wrap up the first half.
With the exception of basket exchanges at the preliminary and closing minutes of the third quarter, BW used a 14-5 run over a 3:15 span to keep its double-digit lead in tact. However, Marietta showed glimpses of a comeback at the beginning of the fourth quarter, jumping to a 9-2 run in the first 2:47 of the frame to get as close as seven. BW shattered any hopes of a close contest by responding with 12 unanswered points and an exceptional 17-4 run to secure its seventh straight victory.
The Yellow Jackets will return to the court on Wednesday, December 18, where they will partake in the opening segment of a BW men and women's basketball double-header against non-conference opponent Trine (Ind.) University in Ursprung Gymnasium at 5:00 p.m.
