Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 68, Oberlin 66

Senior post LaNiece McRae (Youngstown/Chaney) compiled 16 points and 11 rebounds in the second half alone to help Ohio Wesleyan edge Oberlin in a North Coast Athletic Conference contest on Wednesday at Branch Rickey Arena.

The win kept the Bishops in a tie with Denison for fourth place in the conference standings.  The top 4 teams will host quarterfinal matchups in next week's NCAC tournament.

Ohio Wesleyan overcame an 8-point first-half deficit to take a 35-32 halftime lead, and McRae supplied a pair of free throws and a pair of lay-ins as the Bishops extended the margin to 43-34 for their biggest lead of the game.

Oberlin rallied to tie the game at 55 on a pair of Christina Marquette free throws with 5:40 remaining, and the Yeowomen pulled ahead, 59-57, when Caroline Hamilton scored on a fast break with 4:24 to play.

McRae answered with a putback basket to knot the score at 59, senior guard Sarah McQuade (Dublin/Coffman) followed with a pair of free throws that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and junior post Emily Julius (Avon) knocked down a 3-pointer off a McQuade pass that gave the Bishops a 64-59 lead with :37 remaining.

Marquette's driving lay-in with :28 left made it a one-possession game, but sophomore post Taylor Dickson (Baltimore/Liberty Union) sank a pair of free throws with :19 left to push the Bishop lead back to 5 points.

Marquette was fouled on a drive to the hoop and hit both free throws with :08 left to again make it a 3-point game.  Oberlin fouled McQuade almost immediately on the inbounds pass, but McQuade sank both free throws to give Ohio Wesleyan a 68-63 lead, allowing the Bishops to withstand Lindsey Bernhardt's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

Lay-ins by senior guard Kristin Henning (Beavercreek) and McQuade gave Ohio Wesleyan an early 10-8 lead.  Oberlin went on a 10-0 tear that featured a pair of Hamilton 3-pointers that gave the Yeowomen an 18-10 lead with 11:54 remaining, and the Yeowomen still led, 23-18, after a Bernhardt 3-pointer with 8:27 left in the half.

Ohio Wesleyan took the lead with a 11-2 run that included lay-ins by Julius, McRae, and sophomore guard Megan Kuether (Osgood/Marion Local) before a McRae putback basket and a Kuether 3-pointer gave the Bishops a 29-25 lead with 5:28 left in the half.

McRae led the Bishops with 24 points and 14 rebounds.  Dickson finished with 12 points, and McQuade had a team-high 5 assists.

Marquette led Oberlin with 23 points.

Box Score