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COLUMBUS – The Capital University women’s basketball team dominated the second half after trailing in the first Wednesday, downing Marietta 78-60 in an Ohio Athletic Conference contest at the Capital Center.
Playing in their final home game of the regular season, the Crusaders (16-8 overall, 11-6 OAC) took over fourth place in the standings and moved one step closer to a first-round bye in the OAC Tournament.
Capital seniors Shalena Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Hilary Kuhns (Fairfield, Ohio) tallied 14 points apiece playing in their final regular season home game.
After trailing 37-35 through one half, the Crusaders shot 61.3 percent in the second and forced 12 turnovers by Marietta (10-14, 5-12) in the period.
“In the second half, our defensive intensity, along with our running the fast break and controlling the rebounds, got us the win,” Capital coach Dixie Jeffers said. “Congratulations to Hilary and Shalena … they both played great in their last home game. Now, we need to refocus for a tough OAC matchup on Saturday.”
Sophomore Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) came off the bench to post a team-high 17 points. Junior Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio) added 14 points.
After Capital took a 25-18 advantage with 9:30 remaining in the second half, the Pioneers took control of the contest with a 15-0 run, taking a 33-25 lead at the 4:14 mark.
The Crusaders closed their deficit prior to the half, boosted by a running 3-pointer by Kuhns as the buzzer sounded.
Capital continued its momentum in the second half, retaking the lead early and pushing out to a 51-43 advantage after a lay-up by Hawkins with 13:07 to play. The Crusaders extended the lead to double digits for good at the 7:02 mark and ran away for the victory.
Capital outscored Marietta 29-11 off turnovers and 50-22 in the paint. After knocking down five 3-pointers in the first half, the Pioneers cooled off and knocked down just 37 percent of their attempts in the second.
Sophomore Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) littered the box score with six points, a team-best 10 rebounds and four assists.
Hawkins and Kuhns were recognized following the contest for their accomplishments over the last four years. The two were a part of 73 wins (.695 winning percentage), two regular season OAC championships, one conference tournament title and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Crusaders close the regular season this Saturday at Muskingum. Tip-off in New Concord, Ohio, is slated for 3 p.m.