Senior guard Brittaney Jefferson scored her 1,000th career point in helping the Wilmington College women's basketball team to the 59-53 comeback upset of Baldwin Wallace Saturday in Ohio Athletic Conference action at Hermann Court in Fred Raizk Arena.
Jefferson's (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) basket gave Wilmington a five-point lead, and capped a 7-2 run to start the pivotal fourth quarter. WC outscored BW, 15-9, in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory.
"I was really happy for Brittaney," said Wilmington head coach Jerry Scheve. "Brittaney has been a good player for us over the course of her four years. She is a great kid, and brings an awful lot to this team."
The Fightin' Quakers, who were down by as much as 12, locked down defensively to hold Baldwin Wallace to just 17 points in the second half. The Yellow Jackets built their lead by shooting 59 percent (13-of-22) from the field.
Wilmington made some crucial defensive changes in the second half, but according to Scheve, it was the end of the second quarter that made the difference.
"I thought the crucial part of the game was the last three minutes of the second quarter," said Scheve. "We were in danger of getting blown away, down 12, and had Mackenzie (Campbell) on the bench. We had some kids step up, and we were able to cut the lead to seven at halftime. So just to stay in range, with her missing the whole second quarter, was a big part of our win.
"In the first half, we had some matchup difficulties," Scheve continued. "We switched some things up in the second half, and I thought our defensive picked up. Mackenzie back in the game, and scored our first six points to give us some confidence in what we are doing."
After a three-pointer to open the half gave the Yellow Jackets a 10-point lead, Campbell (Cincinnati, OH/Turpin) scored six straight and nine of the game's next 11 points. With WC trailing by four, junior Savannah Hooper (Leesburg, OH/Wilmington) hit all three of her free throws, and senior Ja'Cole Tabor (Dayton, OH/Chaminade Julienne) split a pair to help the Fightin' Quakers even the score heading into the final quarter.
One of the primary reasons Wilmington was able to pull off the upset was the ability to make its free throws. Coming into the game, the Fightin' Quakers were making just 67 percent from the foul line, but they were a stellar 16-of-18 (88 percent) in the game.
"We probably lost two of our games at the free throw line," said Scheve. "We haven't shot them well, and that has been a point of emphasis this week."
Tabor had a career night with 14 points and eight rebounds, both career bests.
"(Tabor) was the most important factor of the game," said Scheve. "In the first half she brought us what she always brings and that is energy; she got us going on both ends of the court. In the second half, she brought scoring which is something she hasn't done traditionally. She came in and knocked down some shots, and most importantly knocked down her free throws."
Campbell added 11 points, four rebounds and two steals, while Jefferson added 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Senior Mary Moyer (Martinsville, OH/Clinton Massie), the league's leading rebounder, finished with a game-high nine boards.
Wilmington (8-5 overall, 4-2 OAC) travels to Muskingum (8-5 overall, 4-2 OAC) 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
