By Bryan DeArdo
Capital's recipe for success in their 53-41 OAC Tournament Championship Game win over Baldwin-Wallace was the same that the women's squad enjoyed throughout their championship season.
As they did in victory Saturday night, the Crusaders won during the year with their senior leadership, solid play by role and reserve players, and with a suffocating defense.
After staggering out of the gates to the tune of a 13-2 early deficit to Baldwin-Wallace, Capital Head Coach Dixie Jeffers infused intensity into her team, and led by her seniors, the Crusaders responded.
"I was mad at the lack of intensity we had to start the game, and I let the kids know it during our first timeout. The seniors took it to heart, and they led our comeback to close out the first half," Jeffers said.
Led by the play of seniors Daniele Sanna and Caitlin Elsass as well as junior Kristen Richardson, Capital went on to outscore the Yellow Jackets 20-11 for the rest of the first half, and only trailed 24-22 at halftime.
"The seniors, other starters, role players, everyone is important on this team and everyone did a great job tonight," said Sanna, who led Capital with seven first half points and finished with 11 for the game en route to winning the Tournament MVP award.
Elsass paved the way to victory in the second half. After not registering a field goal from the floor and scoring only one point in the first half, Elsass tallied eight points in the second half, including four critical free throws in the final 3:08 of the game.
"The turning point of the game was when I had the guts to put (Caitlin) back in the game knowing she was playing with three fouls. But she played smart and helped us close out the win," Jeffers said.
The championship could not have been won, however, without the clutch play of Capital's other role and reserve players.
Senior Katy Lafferty hit two big three-point shots in the second half, while notching eight points and four rebounds, along with her inspired play on defense.
"It's about time we got some championships of our own," Lafferty said. "It's an awesome feeling, but we're not done yet."
Senior Heather McAlpin also delivered with nine points and seven rebounds as Capital nudged the Yellow Jackets in rebounds 39-37. Richardson, the team's leading scorer in the regular season, continued her strong play with nine points, four rebounds, and two steals.
But the true staple of this Crusader team has been defense. Capital's stingy unit limited the Yellow Jackets to only 17 points in the second half and 28 percent shooting for the game. Capital also forced 20 Baldwin-Wallace miscues that turned into 18 Crusader points.
"Our defense has been great all year, and we played up to our ability again tonight," said Sanna, who also hauled a team-high eight rebounds.
Jeffers added, "Our defense took it to another level. They've played great defense like this all season."
The two-time national championship coach has high praise for her current Crusader bunch.
"To able to win the OAC championship against a good team like Baldwin-Wallace is awesome. This is one of the best teams I've put together in the last 15 years, and they haven't proven me wrong yet. Their heart, desire, and determination to play great defense really reminds me of some of my great teams I've had over the years."
While the team has already reeled off OAC regular season and tournament championships, the Crusaders still want to make room for some NCAA tournament hardware.
Capital's draw in the tournament will be announced during the women's and men's selection shows, which will begin on Monday morning at 11 a.m. ET on www.ncaasports.com.
"I think we have the ability to go all the way," Sanna said. "We've played as a unit all year, and I don't see that changing now."