With two teams that aren't opposing to getting out in transition, Saturday's meeting between Wilmington and Heidelberg could come down to which team can get more stops in the halfcourt.
"We are not going to try and slow them down," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "They want to run and press the whole game, and we are going to run with them."
The Student Princes come into the game on a three-game winning streak after recording an 87-75 victory over North Park on December 20. Heidelberg finished the non-conference portion of its schedule at 7-0, and is currently unbeaten (5-0) on the road. Both the HU losses came in Ohio Athletic Conference action.
Under the new coaching staff, Heidelberg has already eclipsed its win total from last season's 6-19 campaign. The two OAC victories equals the 2012-13 total.
Two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection Kathleen Phillips is second in the OAC in scoring with 22.1 points per game. She is averaging more than 16 shots per game, almost twice as many as the nearest teammate. Phillips is also doing a lot of damage from the foul line, attempting 6.2 free throws per game, which is second in the OAC. She leads the team with 2.8 assists and is third on the team, averaging 4.2 rebounds per game.
"She is the best offensive player in the league," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "One on one, she is extremely difficult to guard. They do a lot of things to get her open, but she does of great job of getting open on her own. She moves extremely well without the ball and uses screen extremely well. Number one, we have to handle their press and two, we have contain Phillips and as well as the rest of their scorers. They have a lot of weapons in addition to Phillips."
Freshman Carli Patrick has added toughness to the Heidelberg front line, averaging 13.7 points per game. She is second on the team with 97 shots, and leads the team in shooting percentage (59.6 percent). Patrick has reached double figures in nine of the team's 11 games, including a career-high 28 points against Oberlin on November 26. She has scored at least 15 points in half of the games.
"The addition of Patrick has been a huge factor for them," said Scheve. "She is a strong, tough player inside and gives them a much stronger inside presence. They have had a lot of success early, and they are playing loose, free and confidently."
Sophomore guard Allie Hawkins is added 9.3 points and 2.1 assists, while senior guard Megan Miller is recording 8.6 points per game. Senior forward Kyra Dorney leads the team with 5.6 rebounds and Patrick is second with 5.0 rebounds.
