(COLUMBUS, Ohio) - Despite going nearly seven minutes without scoring a point, Capital University's women's basketball team pulled out a 59-51 win over visiting Mount Union College Wednesday in Ohio Athletic Conference play in The Capital Center.
A jumper by sophomore guard Kristen Richardson (Oxford/Talwanda) gave Capital a 2-0 lead in the game's opening moments, but the Crusaders would not score another point until junior guard Heather McAlpin (Cincinnati/Colerain) sank a pair of free throws at the 12:38 mark. That started a 14-0 run, which included three 3-pointers from sophomore guard Chelsea Ruoff (Grove City/Grove City), to put Capital ahead 16-5 with 7:55 remaining.
Capital took a 24-12 lead into the break, as Mount Union hit just 5-of-26 (19.2 percent) attempts from the field in the first half and connected on just 1-of-10 3-point attempts.
The Purple Raiders came out firing in the second half, though, using a 15-3 run over the opening seven and a half minutes to tie the score at 27. A 3-point play by freshman guard Tara Harper (Dresden/Tri-Valley) sparked a 12-2 Capital response that gave the Crusaders a 39-29 lead with 7:35 left. Harper and Ruoff each scored five points in that stretch, and the Crusaders pushed their lead to as many as 14 points before coming away with the eight-point victory.
Ruoff scored a game and career-high 16 points, hitting 4-of-5 3-point attempts while also grabbing four rebounds. Junior forward Caitlin Elsass (Batavia/Clermont Northeastern) had 14 points and five rebounds, Harper added 12, and McAlpin had seven points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Haley Drayer and Alicia Williams each tallied 14 points for the Purple Raiders, and Williams grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Mount Union fell to 8-14 (5-10 OAC) with the loss, while the Crusaders improved to 15-7 (9-6 OAC). Capital, winners of four straight, will play at Ohio Northern University at 3 p.m. Saturday in Ada, Ohio.