Defense, early scoring run spurs Women’s Basketball to 57-41 win over Capital

By Wes Mayberry

ADA — The Ohio Northern women's basketball team parlayed an early scoring run and strong defensive play to a 57-41 win over Capital on Saturday afternoon at the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears improve to 8-1 overall and 4-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference while dropping the Comets to 8-3, 2-2.

Sophomore Layla Dials (Willard) came off the bench and scored a career-high 12 points to go with four rebounds and two assists to lead ONU.

Sophomore Brooke Allen (Woodville/Woodmore) tallied 10 points and nine rebounds, and sophomore Abi Akamine (Lahaina, Hawaii/Lahainaluna) added nine points and four rebounds.

Junior Kristen Luersman (Fort Jennings) finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Laney Murphy led Capital with eight points.

The Polar Bears held the Comets to just four made field goals and 14.3% shooting in the opening half, including a 1-for-13 mark in the first quarter.

Northern opened the game with a 12-0 run that included four points each from Dials and Allen along with a 3-pointer from senior Kasey Knippen (Ottoville) and a free throw from Akamine.

The Comets finally got on the scoreboard courtesy of a jumper from Bri O'Connor with 1:26 left in the first quarter.

ONU took a 14-4 lead into the second quarter and opened the scoring in the period with a 3-pointer from sophomore Jada Benjamin (Parma/Valley Forge).

A triple from freshman Mackenzie Suprano (Cutler/Waterford) put ONU up 20-5 with 5:39 left in the second quarter, and the Polar Bears took a 34-15 lead into halftime.

A layup from Luersman extended the lead to 23, 38-15, early in the third quarter, and a 3-pointer from Akamine made it 43-17 with 6:04 remaining.

Senior Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) added a triple for a 46-19 edge with 2:49 left in the period.

The Polar Bears entered the fourth quarter up 46-24 en route to the 16-point victory.

Ohio Northern made 21-of-59 field goals for 35.6% and was 8-of-25 from 3-point range for 32%, while CU made 11-of-53 field goals for 20.8% and was 3-of-19 from beyond the arc for 15.8%.

ONU was 7-of-9 from the free-throw line for 77.8%, and Capital was 16-of-20 for 80%.

Northern out-rebounded Capital by a 47-37 margin.

Now riding a five-game win streak, the Polar Bears return to action on Dec. 29-30 for games against Denison and Bethany (W.Va.) at the Bluffton Holiday Tournament.