Senior Bethany Ahrens recorded her first double-double of the season as Wilmington lost to No. 8 Thomas More, 77-55, in the championship game of the 2013 Damon's/Hampton Inn Tip-Off Tournament at Fred Raizk Arena.
"I am pleased with how we competed today," said WC head coach Jerry Scheve. "I was disappointed in the way we shot. We allowed Thomas More to bother our shots, and didn't shoot with confidence today. I think we showed enough to take away positive feelings."
Ahrens (Versailles, OH/Versailles), who was named to the All-Tournament team, finished with 17 points on 8-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds - seven of which were on the offensive end. She was the only WC player in double figures.
Wilmington never led in the game, but managed to stay closed to the ranked Saints for most of the opening half. After trailing by 11 midway through the first 20 minutes, the Fightin' Quakers had a chance to pulled to within four at the break.
A near steal by junior Courtney Tucker (Cincinnati, OH/Sycamore) led to a lose ball that eventually landed in the hands of a Thomas More that nailed a three-pointer at the buzzer to push the deficit the nine.
"The last play of the first half was a pivotal part of the game," said Scheve. "It was a five-point swing. Instead of being down four, we trailed by nine at halftime. That changed the whole complexion of the game."
Thomas More used a 16-4 run early in the second half to push the lead to 20 points, and the Fightin' Quakers were only able to get under the 20-point plateau three times.
Freshman Hannah Haeseker (Germantown, OH/Valley View) scored a career-high nine points on 3-of-5 shooting, while senior Makenzie Wippel (Orient, OH/Westfall) and senior Haley Howard (Uhrichsville, OH/New Philadelphia) added eight points each.
The Fightin' Quakers were able to outrebound the visiting Saints, 43-39, but committed 24 turnovers.
"I am very encouraged frankly about our ability to rebound," said Scheve. "We are not rebounding from our perimeter yet. When we get the perimeter players attacking the boards, we will be a strong rebounding team."
Wilmington (1-1) will face Case Western Reserve 6 p.m. Friday in the opening game of the Fred Raizk Memorial Tournament at Fred Raizk Arena.
