WILMINGTON, Ohio – The Wilmington College women's basketball team hosts the University of Mount Union on Saturday in search of a sweep of the Purple Raiders. The Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) contest, from Fred Raizk Arena, is slated for 4 p.m.
The Teams: Wilmington and Mount Union. The Quakers enter the game 12-8 on the season, 6-7 in OAC contests and riding a two-game winning streak after a 59-50 road victory at Capital University on Wednesday evening. The Purple Raiders are 6-14 on the season and 3-10 in league games after a 66-40 defeat at the hands of No. 14 Baldwin Wallace University in Berea on Wednesday.
The Coaches: Wilmington is under the direction of third-year Head Coach Janel Blankespoor, who is in her fifth season with the program having been interim coach during the 2020-21 season and the program's top assistant the two years prior. The 2007 Otterbein College alumna spent stints at Mount Union and Earlham College before coming to Wilmington. Suzy Venet, one of the most decorated players in NCAA Division III women's basketball history, has been the head coach at her alma mater for the last 18 seasons. She's won over 279 games during that stretch that included a 28-2 campaign during the 2010-11 season.
The Players: Fifth-year senior Kennedy Lewis leads Wilmington in scoring at 12.6 points per game, leads the team in assists at 3.1 per contest and is one of two Quakers - joined by Marisa Seiler, to grab at least 5.5 rebounds a game. A pair of freshman - Seiler and Jada Pohlen - combine to score 17.8 points per game with Pohlen shooting at a 34.7 percent clip from beyond the three-point arc. Zahrya Bailey averages 8.2 points per game while Cassidy Lovett is top three in the conference in steals per contest at 2.1. Both Emma Cannon and Gretchen Koken score 10.3 points per gamer for Mount Union with Koken leading the squad in rebounds at 6.5 per contest.
Tale of the Tape: Points per game – Wilmington 61.7, Mount Union 61.5; opponents' points per game – Wilmington 58.0, Mount Union 66.4; field goal percentage – Wilmington 37.0, Mount Union 33.6; three-point percentage – Wilmington 25.7, Mount Union 22.5; free throw percentage – Wilmington 73.3, Mount Union 70.5; rebounding margin – Wilmington +1.4, Mount Union +2.1; assist-to-turnover ratio – Wilmington 0.71, Mount Union 0.80.
Coaching Connection: Blankespoor served as an assistant coach for Venet at Mount Union for a three-year run that included a 80-11 record and three trips to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
Recent History: Wilmington is 31-17 against Mount Union since joining the OAC prior to the 2000 season. The Quakers claimed a 65-46 triumph on the road earlier this season. More information can be viewed by visiting the link above.
Tickets: Hometown Ticketing will be used for the game. Fans are encouraged to purchase digital tickets prior to game time at the pink above.
Coverage: Live statistics and live video of the game will be available – visit the links above.
Social Media: Wilmington athletics is represented on Facebook (Wilmington College Athletics), Twitter (@DubCQuakers) and Instagram (@DubCQuakers). Follow all the happenings of Wilmington College on social media by using the hashtag "#WeAreDubC".
Up Next: Wilmington continues OAC play at Muskingum University on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
