The Wilmington College women's basketball team shot just 38.5 percent from the field Thursday in falling to Capital, 80-66, in Ohio Athletic Conference action at Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court.

Capital came out and seized control early, opening up a double-figure lead less than halfway into the opening 20 minutes and never looked back.

"We didn't to appear to have any confidence in what we were doing to start the game, and I think that showed up in the shots we took and the results of those shots," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "Capital came out sharp, made tough shots early and we could never really get it turned around like we wanted to."

One of the bright spots was the return of senior Bethany Ahrens (Versailles, OH/Versailles). After missing 11 games, Ahrens slowly worked her way back – and the game was her first extended performance. With WC trailing by 16 points, the forward sparked a 13-4 run that had the pink-clad student section in frenzy. But as Ahrens went to the bench late in the half, so did the momentum she brought. Capital scored seven straight points to push the lead back to 14.

"Bethany has worked hard to come back from her knee surgery, and showed what she can do tonight," said Scheve. "I don't have any doubt that it's an indication of things to come. She will be a big asset for us down the stretch."

Ahrens finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

Freshman Hannah Haeseker (Germantown, OH/Valley View) barely missed a double-double with a 13 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Brittany Jefferson (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) added 12 points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist.

Senior Haley Howard (Uhrichsville, OH/New Philadelphia) tied a career-high with eight assists to go along with eight points and four rebounds.

Despite the outcome, Scheve was able to put the game in prospective.

"The only thing you can take out of this is the realization that we are not a finished product," said Scheve. "We've gotten better all year, and has taken other steps back as we've improved – and this was one today. We have to come back in a belief in ourselves tomorrow and be ready for Baldwin Wallace."

Wilmington (11-9 overall, 8-5 OAC) has a short turnaround as it travels to Berea to meet the Yellow Jackets.