Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 69, Allegheny 63

Sophomore guard Tia Karras (Bellbrook/Miami Valley) connected on a pair of 3-pointers during a 12-1 spurt that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and the Bishops held off an Allegheny comeback to take a win in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.

The Gators had taken a 19-16 lead on a pair of free throws and a jumper by Julianna Skowron early in the second quarter.

Freshman guard Molly Delaney (Delaware/Olentangy) answered with a jumper from the lane on Ohio Wesleyan's ensuing possession, then Karras buried 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions for a 24-19 lead.  Freshman post Cierra Joiner (Centerburg) followed with a pair of free throws and freshman guard Leah Maniaci (Marion/Pleasant) hit a jumper for a 28-20 Bishop lead with 2:57 left in the first half.

Skowron rallied the Gators with a pair of lay-ins, and the margin would remain within 6 points for most of the third quarter until another Karras 3-pointer opened up a 51-43 Ohio Wesleyan lead.

Freshman guard Devin Hefner (Parkersburg, W.Va./South) opened the fourth quarter with a steal and lay-in to push the margin to 10 points, and Ohio Wesleyan still led by a 68-56 count with just over 2 minutes to play in regulation time.

The Gators cut that margin in half with a pair of free throws from Zoe Soilis, another charity toss from Brooke Smith, a Delaney Arbore hoop, and a Smith lay-in, but that was as close as the visitors would come.

Karras led the Bishops with 20 points and shared the team lead with 7 boards.  Hefner finished with 15 points, senior point guard Lisa Zeller (Orient/Grove City Christian) added 11 points and had a team-high 3 assists, and junior guard Claire Sterling (West Jefferson) shared the team lead with 7 rebounds.

Arbore led Allegheny with 23 points.

Box Score