OWU Online | Sports Releases

Ohio Wesleyan 63, Earlham 48 (2/21/2002)

SPRINGFIELD -- Sophomore post Tiffany Barbee (Detroit, Mich./Cass Technical) scored 5 straight points to put the Bishops ahead to stay and freshman wing Kelly Heil (Sylvania/Southview) scored 5 points during a 14-0 run that broke open a win over Earlham in a North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinal on Thursday at Wittenberg's HPER Center.

Ohio Wesleyan will play Wittenberg in the NCAC tournament championship game at 4 p.m., Saturday, at Wittenberg's HPER Center. The NCAC tournament winner will receive the conference's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Division III tournament.

The teams traded points to open the game, with the score tied 5 times before the Bishops took the lead for good.

After a stretch of over 4 minutes of scoreless play, Ohio Wesleyan struck quickly to take the lead. Barbee converted a 3-point play with 9:13 left in the first half to break a 10-10 tie, then followed with a jumper on Ohio Wesleyan's next possession. Heil followed with a 3-point play with 8:29 remaining in the half, giving the Bishops an 18-10 lead.

Heil added a 3-pointer later in the half as Ohio Wesleyan padded the lead to 13 points at 25-12 with 5:38 remaining.

Senior guard Michelle Wolfe (Gahanna/Lincoln) got the Bishops rolling in the second half, hitting a pair of jumpers at the beginning of Ohio Wesleyan's 14-0 burst, before senior guard Talia Brader (Westerville/Columbus DeSales) sank a 3-pointer and Heil added a jumper and capped the run with a 3-pointer that hiked the Bishop lead to 42-17 with 14:39 left in the game.

Heil led the Bishops with 21 points and junior post Mindy Hammond (Columbus/DeSales) added 12 points and team bests of 10 rebounds and 6 assists.

Lindsey Chappell led Earlham with 15 points and Michelle Behler added 12 points.