Box Score Ohio Wesleyan 88, Allegheny 82Junior post Taylor Dickson (Baltimore/Liberty Union) scored 8 points during a key 12-2 fourth-quarter run and Ohio Wesleyan held off an Allegheny rally to claim a North Coast Athletic Conference win over the Gators on Saturday in Meadville, Pa.
With the score tied at 70 during the opening minute of the fourth quarter, Dickson hit a lay-in to put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and junior guard Megan Kuether (Osgood/Marion Local) followed with a jumper from the lane for a 74-70 Bishop lead.
Dickson converted a 3-point play with 8:10 remaining in regulation time, then knocked down a 3-pointer to end the Bishop run and give Ohio Wesleyan a 82-72 advantage with 5:52 left.
Allegheny got buckets from Ifeyinwa Uwazie and Jessica Mrdjenovich to close to within 82-76 with 2:43 to play, but Kuether answered with a jumper to again make it a 3-possession game.
The Gators rallied to within 85-80 on hoops by Emma Pelicano and Mrdjenovich, the latter with :30 remaining, but Kuether sank a pair of free throws with :24 left to extend the lead to 7 points, and another Kuether free throw with :16 remaining provided the final margin.
Ohio Wesleyan used an early 8-0 run to take the lead, breaking a 6-6 tie with 3-pointers by Kuether and senior guard Hanna Fedorka (North Canton/Massillon Jackson). The Bishops would lead through most of the second quarter, when Allegheny got buckets from Emma Pellicano and Olivia Barkley to even the game at 36 before a Mrdjenovich 3-pointer gave the Gators the lead.
Kuether's buzzer-beater pulled the Bishops even at 44 at the intermission, and a lay-in and a 3-point play by Dickson helped Ohio Wesleyan to a 58-52 lead midway through the third quarter. Allegheny answered with 3 consecutive 3-pointers from Delaney Arbore to take a 61-58 lead, and a Barkley 3-pointer gave the Gators a 68-64 lead with 1:05 left in the third period.
Ohio Wesleyan closed out the quarter with a lay-in by senior guard Kelly Still (New Orleans, La./St. Martin's) and a pair of Fedorka free throws before Kuether opened the fourth period with a jumper for a 70-68 Bishop lead.
Kuether led the Bishops with 37 points, ranking fourth on the Ohio Wesleyan single-game scoring list. The 37 points surpassed the career best of 34 she accomplished twice this season, including in Wednesday's win over Wooster.
Dickson finished with 30 points, also marking the second consecutive game in which she scored at least 30 points.
Fedorka led the Bishops with 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Arbore led Allegheny with 20 points.
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