GRANVILLE, Ohio – The 15th/13th-ranked and two-seed Ohio Wesleyan University women's basketball team took on NCAC-newcomer 11th/10th-ranked and three-seed John Carroll in the NCAC Tournament Semifinals on Thursday night, hosted by Denison. 

OWU slips to 20-5 on the year after finishing the regular season 11-3 in the NCAC. John Carroll moves to 24-3, also having finished 11-3 in conference play.

Ohio Wesleyan started strong on a 6-0 run in the first couple of minutes with Macy Miller, Maddie Ebbert, and Nora Johns getting their nights started. The lead was short-lived as John Carroll came back with their own 7-0 run to take their first lead of the evening. OWU would finish the quarter on a high note, taking the lead back with a pair of buckets from Kendall Dieringer for an 11-9 advantage at the first break.

Mia Guscoff found the bottom of the net on a three-pointer to start the second quarter and push the lead to five, but was as high as it would get in the period. JCU soon went on a 15-2 run in the final seven minutes of the half to go ahead by nine at the half, 28-19. Dieringer and Guscoff led the first half offense with five points apiece.

The Battling Bishops looked to make a push at the start of the second half, going on a 6-0 run. Unfortunately, that was nullified by a 7-0 run by the Blue Streaks. OWU would fall behind by 10 after being outscored 8-5 in the remainder of the quarter, 43-33 entering the final period.

The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth affair highlighted by the Bishops going on a 9-0 run to bring the game back within three. Dieringer was the spark, with four points in the run that involved the Red and Black coming away with three steals on back-to-back-to-back possessions. Unfortunately once again, the momentum Ohio Wesleyan had managed to muster was snuffed out by a swing to the other side, this time with John Carroll closing the game on a 9-0 run of their own to advance to the NCAC Tournament Championship, 61-49.

THE NUMBERS
Mia Guscoff and Kendall Dieringer each finished with a team-leading 10 points. Dieringer also recorded a career-high seven rebounds along with three assists and three steals. She was named to the All-NCAC Tournament Team. Guscoff finished with an additional three rebounds and one steal.

Maddie Ebbert and Nora Johns both scored nine points. Johns also secured five rebounds with a career-high three blocks as well as two assists. Ebbert tallied three rebounds and one block.

Macy Miller scored six points and pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds alongside two steals and one assist.

Katie Neuhart tallied five points and one rebound.

UP NEXT
The Battling Bishops await their fate in the NCAA Tournament. Selections will be announced on Monday at 2:30 p.m., airing on NCAA.com.