WILMINGTON, Ohio - A pair of freshman - Marisa Seiler and Jada Pohlen - combined for 28 points as the Wilmington College women's basketball team defeated Earlham College 70-54 in the Quaker Bowl Rivalry game at Fred Raizk Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams made seven field goals and shot over 45 percent from the field in the first 10 minutes. The first half of the quarter, however, featured very little scoring as two Brooke Stover baskets put Wilmington ahead 6-2. Two minutes later, consecutive triples from Jaylah Captain and Jada Pohlen made the score 12-6, but an Alexis Gibson triple in the final minute tied the game 16-16.
Earlham only led for 58 seconds in the entire game, and that near-minute came early in the second quarter. The visitors would never lead by more than a possession, however. After a Neely Trenshaw basket tied the game 24-24, Wilmington clamped down on defense and would allow just two more points over the final five minutes of the first half. During that time, the hosts scored 10 with four coming from JaKaia Lotz, a Richmond, Indiana, native. Earlham's lone basket came with 26 seconds left, but Zahrya Bailey beat the buzzer with jumper to make the score 34-26 at halftime.
Wilmington opened up a 15-point advantage (47-32) with four minutes to play in the third quarter on a triple from Pohlen followed by a Bailey basket. The hosts would lead by double digits the rest of the way, securing a seventh consecutive win over their rival.
The hosts were 26-of-59 (44.1 percent) from the field, 7-of-23 (30.4 percent) from three-point range and 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the free throw line. Wilmington, which assisted 16 of its baskets, out-rebounded the opposition 40-33 and held a 30-18 edge in points in the paint.
The visitors went 21-of-58 (36.2 percent) from the field, but made just four triples on 21 tries. Earlham was also 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from the charity stripe.
Seiler finished with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds while Pohlen added a dozen in nearly 19 minutes off the bench. Kennedy Lewis scored seven points and dished out eight assists. 40 of Wilmington's 70 points on the game came from freshmen.
Alexis Gibson led Earlham with 20 points in defeat.
Wilmington (7-3) heads to the University of Mount Union for a New Year's Eve contest beginning at 3 p.m.
