NEW CONCORD – The Wilmington College women's basketball scored went on a 10-0 run late in the game to beat Muskingum Wednesday, 71-63, in Ohio Athletic Conference play at the Muskingum Recreation Center.
With the game going back and fourth for nearly in the entire fourth quarter, freshman Mackenzie Campbell (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) came up with the biggest play of the game.
"A bust out steal by Mackenzie Campbell, when we were simply trading baskets, finally gave us a cushion," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve.
After a missed three-pointer by Muskingum, the Muskies were forced to foul to extend the game. Wilmington sealed the win as junior Brittaney Jefferson (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne), junior Mary Moyer (Martinsville, OH/Clinton Massie) and Campbell each nailed a pair of free throws.
It was appropriate for the Fightin' Quakers that the aforementioned trio sealed the win. They combined for 52 points, 20 rebounds, nine assists and three steals.
The victory leaves Wilmington tied with Marietta for the final spot of the eight-team Ohio Athletic Conference tournament. Wilmington holds the tiebreaker via its win over Capital if the two teams finished tied. The Fightin' Quakers host Mount Union, while the Pioneers hosts No. 10 Ohio Northern Saturday.
Despite shooting a blistering 57 percent from the field in the first half, Wilmington trailed by four points at the break.
"Thankfully we shot so well in the first half, because it allowed us to stay in the game," said Scheve. "We couldn't stop (Olivia) Besancon or (Alexandra) Carson."
The duo scored 24 of Muskingum's 37 first-half points. The combined for 15 in the second half.
"They were hurting us with ball screens, we changed the way we defended it, and it seemed to be effective for us," said Scheve.
The Muskies doubled its advantage coming out of the locker room before Wilmington tightened up its defense. WC continued to slice away its deficit before finally taking control late.
Campbell finished with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting with nine rebounds and three assists, while Moyer added 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting and nine boards. Jefferson contributed 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting and two rebounds.
While the trio carried the bulk of the scoring load, it was a team effort that ensured the win.
"We had other players make big contributions," said Scheve. "Meranda Wilson played as solid a game as she has in her career, and her defense in the second half was a big key for us. Emily Smith was great in the post and played important minutes for us."