Kelsey Wolfe and Kasey Schipfer joined forces on a fourth-quarter run and the defense was dominant down the stretch as the Ohio Wesleyan women’s basketball team rallied for a 54-51 non-league win over host Bluffton on Wednesday night.
After Bluffton’s Sammy Shardo hit a pair of free throws to bump her team’s lead to six, 51-45 with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter, Wolfe drained a three-pointer and Schipfer hit back-to-back hoops to complete the comeback.
The defense took care of the rest as Bluffton, after Shardo’s free throws, never scored again.
Cierra Joiner led OWU (4-2) with 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Schipfer, who had nine points, a team-leading 12 boards and five steals, was also solid in the win.
Bluffton (2-2) was led by Brianna Gillig, who posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Shardo was next with 15 points in the setback.
Next up, Ohio Wesleyan returns to North Coast Athletic Conference action with a Saturday afternoon showdown against host Denison. Tip is set for 1 p.m.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Kenyon’s Miles Versa scored to pull his team within a point, 53-52 with 4:20 to play, but Ohio Wesleyan’s Jack Clement hit back-to-back jumpers to push the lead back to five and send the Bishops to a 64-58 NCAC win Wednesday night in Gambier.
OWU (4-2) led big at the break, 35-22, before the Lords (0-6) rallied to cut the margin to one in the game’s late stages.
Clement led all scorers with 22 points. Grant Spicer and Nick Carlson were also steady for the Bishops, finishing with 11 and nine points, respectively.
Versa had 16 to pace Kenyon while Dylan Fuerst closed with nine and Gefen Bar-Cohen finished with eight points.
OWU returns to action Saturday against host Denison. Tip is set for 3 p.m.
WRESTLING
Haji Sidibe won via a third-period pin in the heavyweight division to put the finishing touches on Ohio Wesleyan’s 34-7 win over Rio Grande Wednesday night at Branch Rickey Arena.
Other OWU winners included Marquel Henry (4-2 at 197), Ross Eggleston (7-2 at 184), Tyler Bodovetz (3-0 at 174), Jaret Lowry (12-11 at 165) and Caleb Blake (11-3 at 157).
The Bishops’ Donovan Ortiz (133) and Max Beard (141) won by forfeit.
