Women's Basketball: #7 Ohio Northern (0-0 Overall) v Bluffton (0-0 Overall) at North-Park Tip Off Tournament
Friday, Nov. 17, 2017 - 8:30 pm - North Park Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois
Friday's Contest: The No. 7-ranked Ohio Northern women's basketball team will tip-off their season at the North Park (Ill.) Tip-Off Tournament on Friday evening as they take on area-rival Bluffton at 8 pm ... The Polar Bears will then take on the the winner of the first contest between North Park (Ill.) and St. Mary's (Ind.) ... Head coach Michele Durand and her staff welcome back a deep roster that includes 11 letter winners and three starters from last season's team ... Seniors Lindsey Black and Alexis Kirkbride will take over the point guard position after the departure of 2016-17 Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year Britt Lauck ... Black appeared in all 31 contests last season and ranked fourth on the team and third among returners with 7.2 points per contest a season ago ... Also returning for the Polar Bears is senior Courtney Cramer, juniors Jenna Dirksen and Tori Wyss and freshman Abby Weeks ... Cramer makes her return after ranking second on the team and first among returning players with 39 three points field goals ... She was also named the OAC Tournament Most Valuable Player a season ago after an 18-point performance helped lift Northern to an OAC Tournament title ... Dirksen, an Honorable Mention All-OAC honoree in 2016-17, returns after starting in 30 of 31 contests for ONU last season ... The junior ranked third on the team last season, averaging a career-best 10.3 points per contest, and led the team with a .453 three point field goal percentage in 2016-17 ... Wyss appeared in all 31 contests for ONU last season and averaged 12.9 minutes per contest and 2.5 points per contest ... Weeks returns after appearing in all 31 contests for ONU last season and averaging 4.3 points per contest and 9.2 minutes per game ... Senior All-American Amy Bullimore will look to lead the Polar Bears after being tied for first on the team last season with 14.1 points per contest ... She also led the team in rebounds per contest (8.1), blocks per game (1.6), and field goal percentage (.529) ... Bluffton will also tip-off its season on Friday evening ... The Beavers were picked to finish third in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference ... Senior forward Kaycee Rowe returns to the team after ranking first on the team with 14.6 points per game a season ago, while senior guard Macey Sheerer returns after ranking second on the team with 14.5 points per contest ... Sheerer also led the team with 24 made three point field goals last season ... Sheerer and Rowe ranked second and third, respectively, on the team last season in rebounds per contest and will look to be the defensive leaders as well ...
Ohio Northern Probable Starters (2016-17 Stats):
G - #10 Lindsey Black, Sr. (7.2 ppg, 56 assists)
G - #20 Courtney Cramer, Sr. (6.3 ppg, 36 3-point FG)
G - #31 Jenna Dirksen, So. (10.3 ppg, 35 steals)
F - #33 Tori Wyss, Jr. (2.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg)
F - #44 Amy Bullimore, Sr. (14.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg)
ONU Returning Statistical Leaders (2016-17 Stats)
| Scoring | Rebounding | 3FGs | Assists | Steals | ||||||||||||||
| 1. | Bullimore | 14.1 | 1. | Bullimore | 8.0 | 1. | Cramer | 36 | 1. | Dirksen | 73 | 1. | Dirksen | 35 | ||||
| 2. | Dirksen | 10.3 | 2. | Dirksen | 4.5 | 2. | Dirksen | 29 | 2. | Cramer | 63 | 2. | Cramer | 27 | ||||
| 3. | Black | 7.2 | 3. | Mescher | 3.3 | 3. | Black | 14 | 3. | Black | 56 | 3. | Bullimore |
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All-Time Series: Friday's matchup marks the first time in school history the two teams have met.
ONU head coach Michele Durand: Durand is in her 16th season at ONU with a 275-158 record, a winning percentage of .635 ... Durand is currently tied with former Polar Bear head coach Gayle Lauth as the winningest coach in school history.