Related Links:OAC Women’s Basketball StatisticsOAC Women’s Basketball StandingsThe Capital University women’s basketball team looks to secure a spot in the top four in the conference to secure a first-round bye in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament as it closes the 2011-12 regular season this week.
The Crusaders (15-8 overall, 10-6 OAC) host Marietta on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. before heading to New Concord, Ohio, on Saturday to take on Muskingum at 3 p.m.
A pair of wins would put Capital in ideal position to receive a top four spot as the team it is tied with, Baldwin-Wallace, hosts first-place Mount Union and second-place Ohio Northern this week.
Seniors Shalena Hawkins (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Hilary Kuhns (Fairfield, Ohio) will be recognized for their career accomplishments prior to Wednesday’s game, their last regular season affair at the Capital Center.
What HappenedThe Crusaders opened last week with an 84-72 defeat at local rival Otterbein. Four players scored in double figures for Capital, which posted only eight turnovers. The Cardinals shot 50.8 percent from the field and held a double-digit lead for a majority of the second half.
Hawkins and junior Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio) posted 15 points apiece, while junior Stacy Timmerman (New Bremen, Ohio) added 15 as well as six rebounds and six assists. Kuhns contributed with 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks.
Three days later, Capital put itself back in a tie for fourth place in the league standings with a convincing 71-39 triumph over Baldwin-Wallace at the Capital Center. The Crusaders staggered the Yellow Jackets with a full-court press and a mix of half-court defenses, allowing just 28.3 percent shooting while shooting 51.7 percent on the other end.
Will finished with 16 points, while Kuhns and Hawkins registered 14 points apiece. Sophomore Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) totaled 11 points and four steals off the bench, while classmate Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) dished out a career-high nine assists against just one turnover.
Capital outscored B-W 18-0 off turnovers and held a 12-3 advantage in second-chance points.
What’s NextMarietta (10-13, 5-11) stopped its six-game losing skid on Saturday with an 86-69 home victory over Heidelberg. Four players scored in double figures for the Pioneers, including Aleisha Guiler, who totaled team-highs of 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Guiler leads the team and ranks third in the conference in scoring with 15.4 points per game, and is also ranked among OAC leaders in free throw percentage (.861, first) and rebounding (7.7 rpg, fifth). Tori Dixon ranks second on the team with 9.3 points per contest and is shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. As a team, Marietta ranks second in the league in free throw percentage (.717).
Kuhns hit the go-ahead lay-up with four seconds left and the Crusaders hung on to defeat the Pioneers 80-79 on Jan. 11 in Marietta. Capital overcame 10-of-20 shooting from the free throw line with 18 forced turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds, which led to 16 second-chance points. Geroski knocked down five 3-pointers and scored a team-best 20 points.
Muskingum (9-14, 4-12), which hosts John Carroll on Wednesday, enters the week having lost three of its last four, including a 75-49 decision on Saturday at Otterbein. Tori Jarrett and Hannah Nelson led the Muskies, who shot 27.5 percent from the field, with 10 points apiece off the bench.
Nelson leads the team and ranks second in the league in scoring (15.9 points per game), and has the OAC’s top field goal percentage (.553). Carissa Bosch and Amanda Dobbins average 9.9 and 9.8 points per contest, respectively. Dobbins averages 9.0 rebounds, the No. 1 mark in the conference.
In the most recent contest against the Muskies, the Crusaders shot 59.6 percent en route to a 74-62 triumph on Jan. 14 in Columbus. Caton paced Capital with 18 points and three steals in a reserve role, while Hawkins notched 14 points along with a team-best nine rebounds. Muskingum shot just 34.3 percent and 8-for-32 from 3-point range.