Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 76, Allegheny 73

by Zane Kieffer '16

Senior guard Hanna Fedorka (North Canton/Massillon Jackson) converted a 3-point play and junior guard Megan Kuether (Osgood/Marion Local) and junior post Taylor Dickson (Baltimore/Liberty Union) each sank a pair of free throws as Ohio Wesleyan scored the final 7 points of the game to take a North Coast Athletic Conference victory over Allegheny on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Ohio Wesleyan trailed, 73-69, after Allegheny's Olivia Barkley hit a lay-in with :59 to play.

A three-point play by Fedorka closed the gap to one, and after a Barkley miss on the other end, the Bishops called a time out.

Kuether was fouled with :06 to play and converted both free throws to give the Bishops a 74-73 lead.

Allegheny called a time out and advanced the ball to the frontcourt, but Jessica Mrdjenovich lost the ball out of bounds with :03 left.  On the ensuing in-bounds play, Dickson was fouled, and she sank two more free throws with :02 remaining.

Mrdjenovich had a look at a game-tying 3-pointer, but her shot was off the mark.

The Gators took an early first-period lead after a quick lay-in from Ifeyinwa Uwazie and extended their lead to 4 after Barkley hit one of two free throws.  Four was the biggest advantage Allegheny held over Ohio Wesleyan in the first period as both teams battled back and forth, with the Gators leading 19-15 after the first.

The Bishops answered in the second period and shrank the deficit to one after freshman guard Erin Delaney (Toledo/Notre Dame Academy) drained a 3-pointer 30 seconds in.  Five minutes later, Dickson tied the game at 28-28 after she dropped in a 3-pointer.  Dickson poured in another trey to give Ohio Wesleyan the lead and the Bishops ended the first half strong with an 11-point lead over the Gators 43-32.

The beginning of the second half was all Ohio Wesleyan as they led the entire third period.  The lead was pushed to 12 after another Dickson 3-pointer.  The Gators came back, though, and a lay-in by Kaitlyn Fromknecht with 1:28 to go in the third brought the score to 54-50.  Two free throws for the Bishops with :05 to go gave them a 6-point lead going into the final period.

Kuether put the Bishops on the board first in the fourth period with a pair of free throws to give Ohio Wesleyan a 58-50 lead.  The lead was extended to 64-54 after a Delaney lay-in with 6:38 left in regulation time.

Allegheny rallied with 3-pointers, getting one from Delaney Arbore and 2 from Emma Pellicano during a 12-3 run that closed the gap to one. Pellicano then followed with an and-one lay-in to give the Gators a 69-67 lead with 2:36 to go in the game. 

Kuether led the Bishops with a game-high 23 points, followed by Dickson with 22, and Fedorka with 15.  Kuether and Dickson were efficient from the free-throw line, going a combined 18-19.  Junior post Mercedez Wood (Alliance/Marlington) had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Pellicano and Arbore led the Gators with 15 points apiece.

Box Score