WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College women's basketball team pulled way in the second half, outscoring Capital University 44-30 en route to a 77-60 Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) win at Fred Raizk Arena on Friday evening.
The Fightin' Quakers did not start well, committing 2-of-7 first-quarter turnovers on the first two possessions. To make matters worse, leading scorer McKayla Binkley picked up two early fouls. The Crusaders used those turnovers to build a 9-3 lead. That visitor advantage would prove to be the largest of the game, however, as the hosts trailed by just one (15-14) after one quarter thanks to baskets from Haley Cook and Zahrya Bailey.
Two baskets from Kennedy Lewis opened the quarter, and after Capital's first basket of the quarter, Elise Carpenter made consecutive baskets to give Wilmington a 22-17 advantage. The Quakers' lead would grow to as many as seven on multiple occasions, twice thanks to triples from Cook and Hannah Binkley. Allison Roach returned the favor for Capital, however, ending the half with a triple and sending both teams to their respective locker rooms with the score 33-30 in favor of Wilmington.
The three-point theme didn't change early in the second half as Cook and McKayla Binkley hit to open the third quarter, tripling the host's lead. A Kelis Jones layup midway through the quarter put WC ahead 49-37, but Capital got back within six on two occasions. This quarter, however, it was Wilmington's turn to end with a basket as Cook scored putting WC on top 55-47 after three.
Wilmington put the game away in the fourth as its defense did not allow a made field goal for the first 6:30. That field goal, an Erika Linder triple, put the game back within 20 points as Michelle Lee's layup that came prior to that field goal gave the Quakers' their largest lead of the game (73-52).
The Quakers finished 27-of-62 (43.5 percent) from the field to go along with an 8-of-21 (38.1 percent) performance from distance and 15-of-21 (71.4 percent) from the charity stripe. The Crusaders shot almost identically from the field as from beyond the three-point arc (32 and 31 percent respectively) and made 17 free throws. Wilmington held a distinct advantage in the rebounding department, grabbing 48 boards compared to just 32 for Capital. The Quakers also doubled (36-18) the Crusaders in points in the paint.
Individually, Hannah Binkley turned in her first career double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Cook scored a career-high 13 points while Lewis added a dozen with five assists. Carpenter, in 14 minutes played, had seven points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Emma Burns led Capital with 15 points and seven rebounds in defeat.
Wilmington (3-2) improves to 3-0 in games played on Friday evenings. The Quakers will go for their first win, and first series sweep, tomorrow (Saturday) at 6 p.m. in Bexley.
