Women's Basketball runs winning streak to 9 with thrilling 75-73 overtime win at Capital

By Tim Glon

COLUMBUS — Ohio Northern overcame a late 5-point deficit to record a 75-73 overtime women's basketball victory at Capital on Saturday afternoon at the Capital Center.

The Polar Bears run their win streak to nine games and finish the regular season with a 21-4 overall record.

Northern will be the No. 3 seed in next week's Ohio Athletic Conference with a 14-4 league record.

ONU will receive a First Round bye and will host a Quarterfinal game on Tuesday at 6 pm at the ONU Sports Center as the first game of a women's/men's OAC Tournament doubleheader.

Capital falls to 16-8 overall and 13-5 in the OAC.

Sophomore Carly Thomas led ONU with a game-high 20 points and junior Jordan Kimes had her ninth double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds.

Capital was led by Kristen Thompson with 17 points and Cookie Geroski with 14 points.

The victory was also the 200th career coaching win at Ohio Northern for 13th-year ONU head coach Michele Durand.

In 23 years as a head coach Durand is 321-301, including a 200-144 record at ONU.

Trailing 71-66 with 3:01 left in the overtime, Northern went on an 8-0 run to take a 74-71 advantage with just seven seconds remaining.

Senior Cenzie Yoder scored with 2:50 left to trim the lead to 71-68 and Kimes scored with 1:11 to play to get ONU within 71-70.

Yoder blocked Geroski's shot on CU's ensuing possession, setting up Thomas for the go-ahead basket with 33 seconds remaining.

Capital had two chances to regain the lead, but shots by Thompson and Monica Heckman were off the mark and Senior Sara Kocian made two free throws with seven seconds remaining to put Ohio Northern ahead 74-71.

Simone Gage was fouled on the inbounds pass and made two free throws to pull Capital within 74-73, but junior Becca Saine made one of two free throws with six seconds to play to make it a 75-73 game.

CU's 3-point attempt as time expired by Lauren Stefancin was no good and the Polar Bears had held on for the victory.

In regulation, Kocian nailed a 3-pointer with 1:27 left to tie the game at 64-all.

Kimes and Yoder each added free throws in the final minute to put ONU up 66-64, but Gage would make two free throws with two seconds left to tie the game at 66 and send it into overtime.

Ohio Northern made 26-of-61 field goal attempts for 42.6 percent, while Capital made 28-of-68 field goals for 41.2 percent.

ONU won the rebounding battle by a 46-41 margin.