Stahler tallies double-double as Women’s Basketball defeats Wilmington

By Wes Mayberry

WILMINGTON — Senior Alissa Stahler (Lima/Shawnee) posted a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double to lead the Ohio Northern women's basketball team to a 55-49 win over Wilmington at Fred Raizk Arena on Wednesday night.

The victory improves the Polar Bears to 5-2 overall and 1-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference while dropping Wilmington to 4-4, 1-2.

Junior Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) joined Stahler in scoring in double figures for ONU with 14 points while adding seven rebounds and a team-high six steals and three assists.

Sophomore Kristen Luersman (Fort Jennings) chipped in seven points and four rebounds off the bench.

Kelis Jones scored a team-high seven points for Wilmington while Haley Cook, Kennedy Lewis, Zahrya Bailey and Kenzie Campbell added six points apiece.

Lewis tallied a team-high seven rebounds.

The Quakers led 17-14 after the first quarter, but ONU took a 26-25 edge into halftime after outscoring WC 12-8 in the second quarter.

Wilmington scored the first four points of the third quarter to take a 29-26 edge, but a jumper from senior Lexi Jacobs (Wapakoneta) and a 3-pointer from Serbin put the Polar Bears back on top with 6:21 left in the period.

A layup from Serbin and a jumper from senior Molly Palecek (Wadsworth) put Northern up 39-31 with 4:08 left in the third quarter, and the Polar Bears took a 41-33 lead into the final period.

The Quakers got within one on a pair of occasions late in the game, but ONU never surrendered the lead.

Stahler sealed the victory with a pair of free throws that gave ONU a 55-47 lead with just 19 seconds remaining.

Ohio Northern made 22-of-54 field goals for 40.7% and was 2-of-11 from 3-point range for 18.2%, while the Quakers made 20-of-61 field goals for 32.8% and were 5-of-19 from beyond the arc for 26.3%.

The Polar Bears were 9-of-14 from the foul line for 64.3% while Wilmington was 4-of-10 for 40%.

ONU out-rebounded WC by a 40-35 margin.

The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. as they host OAC foe Mount Union.