(WESTERVILLE, Ohio) - Four players scored in double figures and Capital University's women's basketball team led throughout the game to score a 72-66 victory over Otterbein College in an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game Wednesday in Westerville.
The Crusaders, the tourney's No. 5 seed, improve to 17-9 on the season and play at top-seed and No. 10 nationally Baldwin-Wallace College at 7:30 p.m. in Berea. Otterbein ends its season at 14-12.
Junior guard Heather McAlpin (Cincinnati/Colerain) sank a 3-pointer to give the Crusaders an 11-10 lead just under five minutes into the game, a lead the Crusaders would no relinquish. Later in the half, an 11-3 run pushed Capital's advantage to 35-25 with 5:24 to go before halftime. Sophomore guard Chelsea Ruoff (Grove City/Grove City) scored five straight points, and sophomore guard Kristen Richardson (Oxford/Talawanda) and freshman guard Tara Harper (Dresden/Tri-Valley) each hit threes. Richardson, who had 16 of her game-high 20 points in the first half, hit a jumper with 15 seconds left to put Capital ahead 39-31 at the break.
The lead remained between five and nine points at the start of the second half until junior forward Caitlin Elsass (Batavia/Clermont Northeastern) converted on a three-point play and Ruoff followed with a 3-pointer to give Capital a 53-42 lead with 10:42 left. Otterbein responded and cut it to four at 55-51, but a free throw from Harper capped a 10-4 spurt from the Crusaders to bump the lead back to 10 points, 65-55, with just 1:25 remaining.
Capital hit 15 of its final 17 free throws to help clinch the victory, avenging a Saturday loss at the buzzer to the rival Cardinals. The Crusaders shot nearly 52 percent in the first half, and for the game forced 24 Otterbein turnovers.
Ruoff scored 12 of her career-high 17 points in the second half, while Elsass added 13 points and Harper scored 10. McAlpin had eight points, a team-high nine rebounds and six assists. Laura Roth scored 18 points while Katy Miller had 11 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Cardinals.