The Heidelberg University women’s basketball team, fresh off of their first Ohio Athletic Conference victory, traveled to University Heights, Ohio and the campus of John Carroll University to battle the Blue Streaks. Entering the game, the Blue Streaks were winless in OAC competition.
Despite a 22-point performance from junior Kathleen Phillips (Sandusky/St. Mary’s), the Berg falls, 65-59.
Phillips’s 22-points led the team and marks the third time this season she has scored more then
Sophomore Paige Ricketts (Mineral City/Tusky Valley) dropped nine points on the Blue Streaks, while collecting seven rebounds and three steals.
20-points. Phillips also tallied four rebounds and three steals in the loss.
Junior Megan Miller (Tiffin/Columbian) led the Student Princes rebounding with eight. Miller also scored 14-points and gave up one assist.
As a unit, the Student princes shot 71.4% from the free throw line, a slight improvement from the season average, 69.1%.
It was a game of back-and-fourth that included seven ties and eight lead changes.
Neither team gained a double digit advantage over the other with the largest lead of the game going to John Carroll when an Emily Johanson three-pointer gave the Blue Streaks a nine-point cushion early in the first half.
Heidelberg and the Blue Streaks traded leads until the 13:37 mark in the first half when John Carroll’s Allison Lustig knocked down a three-pointer, giving the Streaks a three-point advantage.
John Carroll remained in control until a Ricketts layup swung the lead in Heidelberg’s favor with 4:35 left until halftime. The Berg kept the Blue Streak offense at bay and took a two-point lead into the locker room.
The Student Princes began the second half by surrendering the lead at the 18:11 mark, but regained a one-point advantage nearly a minute later with 17:06 left.
The lead would change hands six more times before the Blue Streaks jumped ahead, 56-55 with 3:53 remaining in the game.
The Berg would tie the game for the last time at the 1:36 mark, but a six-point run by John Carroll to end the game would deliver the Student Princes their third loss in the OAC and fifth loss overall.
The Heidelberg ladies will return to the court on Wednesday, December 20, when they travel the New Wilmington, PA to take on the Titans of Westminster College.
Tipoff between the Student Princes and the Titans is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.