WC, Capital to meet in
OAC semifinals ... again

Lady Quakers to face No. 2 seed Crusaders in Bexley

February 22, 2006

It must be late February, and you don't have to look at the trees or weather forecast to know for sure. Just check the OAC Tournament brackets, and if Wilmington and Capital are getting ready to square off, it's late February.

Third-seed Wilmington and No. 2 Capital will meet 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals in Bexley. Yes, Yogi, its deja vu ... all over again.

In 2004, Wilmington's run to the national championship revved up in the OAC semifinals as the Lady Quakers won at Capital, 83-69. Last season, Wilmington handed Capital a 71-53 loss in the conference semis.

"It's been two very good teams playing very meaningful games," WC head coach Jerry Scheve said. "These two teams play very hard and very well, often with some very interesting results."

In the regular season, homecourt advantage did not exist when the Lady Quakers and Crusaders hooked up. Wilmington posted a 68-65 win at Bexley Jan. 18, and Capital overcame a 28-point deficit to beat Wilmington, 73-71, Feb. 1 at Fred Raizk Arena.

Senior guard Sara Heitkamp averaged 27.5 points in the Crusaders' games with Wilmington, but Scheve said Capital presents problems beyond the dilemma that is Heitkamp.

"Sara Heitkamp is going to be the OAC Player of the Year; I don't think there's any question about that," Scheve said. "But they've got other great players to go with her. Kati Todd is a senior who has been an outstanding player. Their post players are as good as anyone in the league, so it's much more than just Sara Heitkamp."

Wilmington sophomore guard Jackie Hauke (Sardinia/Whiteoak) averaged 15 points and three assists in the Lady Quakers' games with Capital. Wilmington's other four starters —Kelly Peters (Spencerville), Katie Streck (Dayton/Carroll), Sam Hood (Lockbourne/Teays Valley) and Erica Smith (Union/Northmont) — had at least one double-figure scoring game against the Crusaders.

"That's been our trademark all year. We've got five kids who are very close to scoring in double figures," Scheve said. "In our last game (an 81-68 OAC quarterfinal win over Mount Union), all five starters were in double figures. We certainly rely on our whole team to play solid defense. We're going to take what other teams give us."

In Thursday's other semifinal game, No. 1 Baldwin-Wallace hosts No. 4 Otterbein. The semifinal winners will meet for the OAC title and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament 3 p.m. Saturday on the home floor of the highest remaining seed.