| About OWU | | | Academics | | | Admission | | | Alumni | | | Athletics | | | Faculty/Staff | | | Students |
Ohio Wesleyan 59, Ripon 38
Dec. 29, 2007
![[ Stacey Aaron ]](../images/aaron2.jpg)
Junior wing Stacey Aaron (Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove) scored 6 points and senior post Kelli Lester (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial) added 5 more during a 15-3 run that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay, and the Bishops pulled away during the second half in defeating Ripon in the championship game of the South Padre Island Shootout on Saturday in South Padre Island, Texas.
With the game tied, 8-8, Lester buried a 3-pointer for an 11-8 Bishop lead, and after Ripon countered with a Carissa Zuercher jumper, Lester followed with a lay-in to restore the 3-point Ohio Wesleyan lead.
Aaron then buried back-to-back 3-pointers less than a minute apart, and freshman post Kayla Gordon (St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville) and freshman wing Tyler Cordell (Columbus/St. Francis DeSales) followed with lay-ins to stretch the margin to 23-11 with 6:56 left in the first half.
Ohio Wesleyan took a 27-17 halftime lead and increased that to a 16-point spread early in the second half on a basket by junior post Katie Hamilton (Hilliard/Darby) and 4 straight free throws by Gordon.
The Bishops still led, 37-21, on Lester's jumper with 13:23 left in regulation time when the Red Hawks rallied, putting together a 10-2 run that included 4 straight free throws by Christina Schneider and a lay-in by Katie Horkan.
Ohio Wesleyan answered the Ripon rally with a 9-1 run, with junior post Laurel Lawson (Navarre/Fairless) contributing a 3-point play and a pair of free throws, Gordon hitting a lay-in and senior wing Steffi Graf (Poland/Seminary) sinking a pair of free throws to give the Bishops a 48-32 lead with 5:46 to play, and the Red Hawks would not threaten again.
Ripon's 38 points marked the fewest allowed in a game by Ohio Wesleyan since Jan. 6, 2003, when the Bishops defeated Hilbert, 69-27, in Gund Arena in Cleveland.
Lawson led the Bishops with 15 points, while Gordon finished with 10 points and a team-high 6 rebounds. Graf led Ohio Wesleyan with 5 assists.
Graf was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by Lawson.
Jeni Yaeger led Ripon with 8 points.