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Ohio Wesleyan 66, Allegheny 53 (2/16/2002)

Senior post Katy Sturtz (Worthington/Columbus Watterson) and freshman guard Angela Gibson (Marysville) sparked a 7-0 run that put the Bishops ahead to stay and senior guard Talia Brader (Westerville/Columbus DeSales) hit a key 3-pointer down the stretch as Ohio Wesleyan closed out the regular season with a North Coast Athletic Conference win over Allegheny on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Ohio Wesleyan led throughout the first half, taking a 24-15 lead at the conclusion of a 9-2 run that featured 6 points by sophomore post Tiffany Barbee (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical). Allegheny clawed back to within 24-23, but the Bishops held the Gators to just one basket in the final 4 minutes of the half and led by a score of 30-25 at the intermission.

Junior post Mindy Hammond (Columbus/DeSales) converted a 3-point play early in the second half as the Bishops built the lead to 9 points again, taking a 42-33 lead with 15:16 left in the game, but Allegheny came back with 8 straight points by Jamie Parone and tied the game at 42-42 when Kristin Kramarik hit the second of 2 free throws with 11:46 to play.

Sturtz broke the tie with 2 free throws with 10:15 remaining, and after a Barbee free throw, Sturtz hit a lay-in off a Gibson feed for a 47-42 Bishop lead. Gibson concluded the run with a pair of free throws that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead, 49-42, with 8:24 remaining.

The Gators closed to within 54-50 on an improbable hook shot by Alyssa Hinkle from the right baseline and a lay-in by Jessica Kankoski with 3:33 to play, but following a Bishop time out, Brader drilled a 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down to douse the Allegheny rally. The Gators scored only 3 points during the rest of the game, all by Parone.

Hammond led the Bishops with 16 points, while Sturtz finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, senior guard Michelle Wolfe (Gahanna/Lincoln) had 12 points and Barbee added 11 points. Ohio Wesleyan was 31-for-37 from the line in the game, setting school and arena records for free throws made. The Bishops' free throw percentage (.838) in the game also set a school record.

Kankoski led Allegheny with 15 points, Parone scored 13 points and Hinkle ended up with 12 points.