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Tiger women fall to Bishops in NCAC semifinal
The warning signs were the for DPU's No. 7-ranked women's basketball team to see before they faced off against Ohio Wesleyan Friday night in Greencastle.
Wittenberg, the second-seeded team in the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament, struggled mightily to put away a Denison squad that had won five-straight games coming into the first semifinal.
The Tigers, who had beaten the Battling Bishops 74-69 six days prior to their third meeting, failed to make the offense click as a 21-7 run in the second half keyed the visitors to a 72-65 upset of the defending NCAC champions.
DePauw started the game brightly, taking a 9-4 lead after Emma Ondik hit a three, only for Ohio Wesleyan to score 10 of the next 11 points to take a 14-10 lead.
The two teams proceeded to trade the lead back-and-forth for a three-minute spell before Lauren Abendroth scored a layup that would put the Tigers ahead for the rest of the half.
The lead grew as large as six after a Hannah Douglas layup and the hosts eventually closed the first 20 minutes of play leading 31-28.
Despite the halftime lead and two baskets to start the second half, DePauw's offense looked out of synch and would struggle for much of the second half.
Ohio Wesleyan duo Taylor Dickson and Emily Julius soon took control of the contest, scoring a combined 20 points over a 10-minute stretch that saw a seven-point lead for the hosts turn into an 11-point deficit.
Dickson and Julius hit three threes apiece as part of a 28-10 stretch that put the visitors in front 56-45 with 6:43 remaining in the game.
Savannah Trees dragged DePauw back into the game, scoring 10 points in the next five minutes to close the gap down to a point at 58-57 and 60-59.
Julius, however, sank her fourth three of the half to extend the lead back out to four, a gap that would not be breeched again as the Tiger sank to only their second NCAC loss in 75 games, with both coming to the Battling Bishops.
Trees finished the game with 26 points and seven rebounds for the hosts while Douglas added 11 and Ondik scored 10.
Ohio Wesleyan had four players in double-figures, led by Julius' 17, while also out-assisting DePauw 16-6 and holding a 17-9 free throw advantage by game's end.
The Battling Bishops will face Wittenberg in the NCAC final Saturday at Neal Fieldhouse, starting at pm.
At DePauw
Ohio Wesleyan 28 44 -- 72
DePauw 31 34 -- 65
Statistics
Scoring
Ohio Wesleyan -- 23-50 FG, 9-17 3-FG, 17-22 FT -- Julius 17, McRae 16, Dickson 15, McQuade 13, Henning 6, Kuether 4, Fedorka 1
DePauw -- 27-60 FG, 2-10 3-FG, 9-13 FT -- Trees 26, Douglas 11, Ondik 10, Skordos 6, Howard 6, Abendroth 2, Lukemeyer 2, Keller 2, Stoner 0, Ryan 0, Gardner 0
Rebounding (Offensive)
Ohio Wesleyan 29 (6); DePauw 35 (11)
Assists
Ohio Wesleyan 16; DePauw 6
Blocks
Ohio Wesleyan 2; DePauw 9
Steals
Ohio Wesleyan 2; DePauw 6
Turnovers
Ohio Wesleyan 13; DePauw 9
Fouls
Ohio Wesleyan 15; DePauw 20