Lady Quakers open OAC play with convincing win

Courtney Balser led trio of Lady Quakers in double figures

[Box Score]

December 4, 2004

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio – The Wilmington College Lady Quakers won their third straight game of the season with a 66-51 victory over the Blue Streaks of John Carroll University. Courtney Balser (Pleasant Plain/Little Miami) led the way with 16 points.

The teams played even for the first ten minutes of the game, when John Carroll took their first lead of the game at 9-8 with 9:47 to play in the half. The Lady Quakers then went on a 7-0 run to take a six-point lead that was cut to one by the end of the half, as the Green and White went into the locker room with a one-point, 23-22 advantage.

The Blue Streaks scored first in the second half, taking a one-point lead before the Lady Quakers opened a 14-0 run taking a 13-point lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the contest. The lead grew to as many as 21 points with 8:42 to play in the period before the Blue Streaks chipped away at the lead, cutting it to 15 by the final buzzer.

Balser was the team’s leading scorer with 16 points while Katie Streck (Dayton/Carroll) scored 12 and Erica Smith (Union/Northmont) added 10. Siobhan Zerilla (Cincinnati/Mercy) pulled down nine rebounds for the Lady Quakers while Sam Hood (Lockbourne/Teays Valley) dished out six assists.

The Lady Quakers held the Blue Streaks without a double digit scorer, as the hosts were led by Shayla Bell and Mary Hladky, who each scored nine in the loss. Meagan Heller pulled down eight rebounds while Amy Esser dished out three assists.

With the win, the Lady Quakers improve to 5-1 on the year and 1-0 in the OAC while John Carroll falls to 2-2 and 0-1 in league action.

The next game for the Green and White is on Wednesday, December 8 when the team travels to Westerville, Ohio to take on the Cardinals of Otterbein College with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m.