The Wilmington College women's basketball team travels to John Carroll Saturday to face a Blue Streaks team looking for their first Ohio Athletic Conference win as JCU is 4-3 overall, but 0-2 inside the league.
Junior Katlyn Spahar, the reigning OAC Player of the Year, has picked up where she left off last season, and is second in the OAC in scoring with 17.4 points per game. However, she is only averaging 7.0 points per game in the Blue Streaks' two league losses.
"Spahar was the Player of the Year last year, and deservingly so," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "She has been a thorn in our side the last couple of years. She presents a lot of challenges defensively; she can score outside or inside. She can play the point or play the post; she is a real tough matchup."
The duo of Spahar and sophomore point guard Shmoo Pryor is taking 41.2 percent of the team's shots and 50 percent of the team's free throw attempts.
Consequently, they are the two leading scorers and the only two in double figures with 17.4 and 11.7 points per game, respectively.
"They have a great point guard in Shmoo Pryor, who is a great defender, and pushes the ball well for them, creates and also scores," said Scheve. "They have a strong inside game as well. They have a lot of different ways to beat you."
Sophomore guard Sarah Cairnie leads the team with 8.7 rebounds, while scoring 9.6 points per game. Freshman Bri Pittenger scored a career-high 15 points in the loss to Heidelberg, but that represents nearly half of her scoring total for the season.
The key to slowing down the Blue Streaks is to keep them from getting easy baskets in transition.
"That was key last week for us," said Scheve. "We slowed Marietta down and didn't give up any easy, transition baskets, and it will be a big factor Saturday as well."
Junior guard Brittaney Jefferson (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) is coming off her worst game of the season with nine points in the win over Marietta. It was her first game after assuming the team's reigns at point. She is still the team's leading scorer with 14.6 points per game and leads the team with 2.5 assists.
Freshman Mackenzie Campbell (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) is second on the team with 10.0 points per game and leads the team with 6.4 rebounds. Junior Mary Moyer is coming off her best game of the season with a 16-point, 10-rebound effort against Marietta. She is averaging 5.8 points and 6.2 boards on the season.
