HOLLAND, Mich. – The #21 Baldwin Wallace University women's basketball team faced Olivet (Mich.) College for a non-conference contest on Day 1 of the Hope Tournament inside the Devos Fieldhouse.
A huge team effort by the Yellow Jackets (2-0) helped them cruise past the Comets (1-3) in a giant 95-29 win. BW notched the team record for three-pointers made in a single game with 17. The record was previously set by the 2019-20 team vs Marietta College on January 20, 2020 when the team tallied 16. BW was led tonight by sophomore forward Sylvie Sonneman (Jamestown/Greenview) who notched a game-high 13 points. Sonneman shot 5-7 from the field.
Senior Academic All-OAC guard Megan Hensel (Upper Sandusky) tallied 11 points and four rebounds for BW. Senior First Team All-OAC performer and Academic All-OAC forward Lilly Edwards (Dublin/Coffman) also played a huge part in the BW victory, tallying her second-straight double-double of the year. Edwards posted 15 rebounds and 10 points.
The Yellow Jackets started the matchup leading 20-7 after the first quarter. Edwards neared a double-double already after 10 minutes of play, totaling 10 rebounds and six points. Hensel added eight more points for BW.
Edwards notched her double-double after two made layups at the 5:17 mark in the second quarter. An end-of-the-quarter eight-point surge from Sonneman in the last 1:20 of the first half gave BW the big 39-19 lead heading into halftime.
Coming out of the locker rooms in the third quarter, BW got out to a 7-0 run to force Olivet to a timeout and give the Yellow Jackets a 27-point lead (46-19). BW kept its foot on the gas pedal, going on a 21-point run coming out of the Comets' timeout to put them up 67-19 to end the third. The Yellow Jackets defense gave up zero point, holding Olivet scoreless the entirety of the third quarter.
Breaking BW's defense effort, Olivet notched the first points of the fourth quarter with a layup. Still outscoring the Comets 28-10 in the fourth quarter, the Yellow Jackets clinched the huge 95-29 victory.
The Comets were led by senior Alicia Bullaro who posted 10 points for Olivet.
Freshman guard Emily Irwin (Pickerington/Watkins Memorial) totaled eight points, shooting 3-3 from the field with two shots made from behind the arc. Freshman forward Bella Vaillant (Perrysburg) notched seven points for BW in her career debut. Also in their career debut, freshman guard Alek Johnson (Gibsonia, Pa./Mars Area) and freshman guard Suzie Nemec (Weedsport, N.Y.) each grabbed six points.
Senior Academic All-OAC forward Megan Scheibelhut (Avon Lake/Elyria Catholic) finished with six points and five rebounds for the Yellow Jackets. Freshman forward Caely Ressler (Napoleon) earned five points and four boards.
The Yellow Jackets return tomorrow (November 20) for Day 2 of the Hope Tournament. BW will face #1 Hope College for a huge non-conference matchup at 3:00 p.m. also inside the DeVos Fieldhouse.
