BERE, Ohio – The No. 11 nationally-ranked Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team made a program record 16 three-pointers, on route to earning a convincing 89-60 Ohio Athletic Conference victory against Marietta College in Ursprung Gymnasium.
BW's (15-2, 9-1 OAC) 16 three-pointers in this afternoon's game broke the program's single-game record for most made threes, which was previously held for 18 seasons by the 2001-02 squad, that had made 15 three-pointers in a home game against Wilmington College. The Yellow Jackets were also one three-pointer removed from tying the OAC all-time record, which currently stands at 17. The hot three-point shooting also propelled BW to match its season-high of 89 points, previously occurring at Muskingum University on December 7.
With the win, BW improves its all-time record against Marietta (8-9, 4-6 OAC) to 55-19, and maintains its position atop the OAC standings entering the second half of its OAC regular season slate of games.
The Yellow Jackets were led by a season-high, five players in double-figures. Senior Academic All-OAC guard/forward Kara Marshall (Copley/Akron Archbishop Hoban) scored a team-high 14 points, to go along with two rebounds, one steal, and a career-high four three-pointers. Senior All-OAC guard/forward Hannah Fecht (Hilliard/Davidson) poured in 11 points, and grabbed four rebounds and four assists. Making valuable contributions off the bench were junior guard Gabby Garrett (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) and sophomore forward Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky), who scored 11 points apiece. Garrett also secured a game and career-high eight rebounds in the victory.
The Pioneers offense was spearheaded by sophomore guard Devin Hefner and senior forward Alexis Enochs. Hefner garnered a game-high 17 points and a team-high 7 rebounds, while Enochs, Marietta's leading scorer this season, accumulated 13 points, three boards, and one steal in the defeat.
After surrendering a free throw to begin the game, BW scored the next 13 points and embarked on an impressive 24-2 run overall to claim a sizeable lead out of the gate. The Yellow Jackets were able generate problems for the Marietta offense early on. The Pioneers were limited to a mere 16.7 percent shooting, and had only managed to score their first field goal at the 1:38 mark of the first quarter. Reluctant to let the game slip away from them early on, Marietta was able to score the last seven points of the first period to dilute the deficit to 14. The Pioneers' run had increased to 12-0, spilling into the second quarter. As soon as it looked like Marietta would creep to within striking distance, BW was able to embark on a 14-5 run from 8:35-4:34 marks of the second period, and regained its stranglehold on the lead. The Yellow Jackets' dominant first half was also capped off by a buzzer-beating Riley Schill (Sheffield Village/Elyria Catholic) three-pointer, giving BW a 21-point lead headed to the break.
The third quarter featured some back-and-forth momentum for both teams, as they exchanged baskets frequently throughout the period. The third period of play was highlighted by the Pioneers' Enochs, who scored nine points in the quarter alone, as well as a hot shooting performance from beyond the arc for BW, who had gone 5-7 (71.4 percent) from three-point territory. The Yellow Jackets kept rolling into the fourth quarter, seizing a 14-5 run from the period's inception. With its lead peaking at an astounding 37 points at the 4:07 mark, the game was out of reach for the Pioneers, and BW was able to secure the convincing home victory.
The Yellow Jackets will return to the court on Wednesday, January 29, when they travel to Tiffin for an OAC matchup against Heidelberg University at 7:00 p.m. in Seiberling Gymnasium.
