Ohio Wesleyan 67, Oberlin 60
Freshman post Tamra Londot (Utica) scored 7 points during a 14-3 first-half run that gave Ohio Wesleyan a double-digit lead, senior post Kayla Gordon (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) turned in timely plays late in each half, and the Bishops weathered an Oberlin comeback to defeat the Yeowomen in a quarterfinal matchup of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament on Tuesday at Branch Rickey Arena.
Neither team shot well during the first 10 minutes of the game, with Gordon's jumper from the lane breaking a 10-10 tie and putting Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay with 10:28 left in the first half.
Oberlin was still within 21-17 after Kelly Warlich's lay-in with 3:20 left in the half, but Londot hit a pair of free throws, then sank a jumper after a Quigney 3-pointer to extend the margin to 29-18 with 1:54 to play.
Londot drilled a big 3-pointer from the left corner with :50 left to make it 32-18, only to see Syrea Thomas bring the Yeowomen back to within 32-20 with :12 to play.
It appeared as though the Oberlin defense would hold the Bishops without a shot to end the half, with Gordon well beyond the top of the key, but the Bishop senior launched a 25-footer that found the bottom of the net at the horn, giving Ohio Wesleyan not only a lift but a 35-20 lead as well.
Oberlin, which had shot just 21 percent from 3-point range during the first half, began to heat up in the second half. Thomas hit a couple of 3-pointers to bring the Yeowomen within 8 points with 12:29 left. Allison Anderson then hit a pair of 3-pointers and a pair of free throws as Oberlin closed the gap from 56-44 to 60-56 with 3:35 left in regulation time.
Ohio Wesleyan still led, 62-58, and had the ball after Oberlin misfired with a chance to make it a one-possession game when senior guard Tyler Cordell (Columbus/St. Francis DeSales) missed a lay-in and Gordon dove to the floor to grab the rebound and call time out, keeping possession and allowing the Bishops to whittle another 25 seconds off the clock.
Oberlin had one more shot to make it a one-possession game, but Warlich's 3-pointer was off, and Gordon slammed the door on the other end by converting a 3-point play, giving Ohio Wesleyan a 65-58 lead with :37 remaining.
Gordon led the Bishops with 24 points, scoring 16 of those during the first half. Cordell finished with 18 points, grabbed a team-best 8 rebounds, and shared the team lead with 4 assists. Sophomore guard Kandis Walker (Utica) also shared the Bishop lead with 4 assists.
Thomas led Oberlin with 28 points, while Warlich finished with 14 points.
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