Ohio Wesleyan 74, Adrian 67

Dec. 28, 2007

Freshman wing Tyler Cordell (Columbus/St. Francis DeSales) scored 6 points during an 18-5 second-half run that gave Ohio Wesleyan a 20-point lead, and the Bishops withstood a late Adrian rally to defeat the Bulldogs in the first round of the South Padre Island Shootout on Friday in South Padre Island, Texas.

Ohio Wesleyan is scheduled to face Ripon (Wis.), a 67-45 winner over Centenary (N.J.) in Friday's nightcap, on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Bishops led, 36-28, early in the second half when freshman post Kayla Gordon (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) and junior post Laurel Lawson (Navarre/Fairless) knocked down baskets from the lane, and after an Adrian hoop, Cordell followed with a lay-in that made it a 42-30 game.

Senior guard Kathleen Cooper (Columbus/Upper Arlington) followed with a 3-pointer before Cordell sank a jumper, and after a 3-pointer by senior wing Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary) and a pair of free throws from Cordell, the Bishops held a 54-33 lead with 10:13 left in regulation time.

Ohio Wesleyan still led, 71-51, with 4:11 left after 3-pointers from Cooper and junior wing Stacey Aaron (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) when Adrian rallied with a 13-0 run. The Bulldogs got a 3-pointer from Rita Carter and 3 buckets from Kim Olech, the last of which brought Adrian within 71-64 with 1:07 on the clock.

Cooper ended the Bishop drought by hitting a pair of free throws after a crucial offensive rebound by junior post Katie Hamilton (Hilliard/Darby), and while Adrian closed to within 73-67 on Carter's 3-pointer with :25 to play, that was as close as the Bulldogs would get.

Adrian had taken an early 6-2 lead on baskets by Ashley McClarren and Olech, but Ohio Wesleyan came back with a bucket by Gordon and a 3-pointer by Graf to take a 7-6 lead. After Olech scored on a fast break for the Bulldogs, Gordon hit a lay-in that put the Bishops ahead to stay, Hamilton followed with a basket and Aaron buried a 3-pointer for a 14-8 Ohio Wesleyan lead.

The Bishops stretched the lead to 10 points on Aaron's free throw late in the first half and Lawson followed with a bucket for a 32-20 Bishop lead before Ohio Wesleyan took a 33-22 lead at halftime.

Gordon led the Bishops with 18 points, while Graf finished with 11 points and Aaron added 10 points. Lawson grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds and Cooper led Ohio Wesleyan with 5 assists.

Olech led Adrian with 14 points and 6 rebounds, while Carter added 10 points for the Bulldogs.

Box Score