Sydney Ward has first career double-double, scores career-high 20 points to lead Women's Basketball in 69-62 setback to Otterbein
By Tim Glon
ADA — Senior Sydney Ward (Columbus/Upper Arlington) had her first career double-double to lead the Ohio Northern women's basketball team in a 69-62 loss to Otterbein on Saturday night at the ONU Sports Center.
Ward scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Polar Bears (1-3 overall, 1-3 Ohio Athletic Conference).
Sophomore Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) added 10 points for ONU.
The Cardinals (3-1, 3-1) had three players in double figures in scoring, led by Jenna Hoschouer with 16 points.
Northern got off to a cold start in the first quarter, going 0-for-9 from 3-point range and was just 5-for-19 overall to trail 22-12 10 minutes into the game.
The Polar Bears turned their focus on the inside game the rest of the way and rallied to within 35-29 at halftime.
Ward scored 17 of her 20 points in the second half as the hosts continued their success in the paint. ONU held a 36-22 advantage in points in the point and scored 22 second chance points off of 23 offensive rebounds in the game.
OU led 59-48 with 4:27 left in the contest, but a 3-pointer by Serbin got Northern within 64-60 with 39 seconds left.
The Cardinals then went 5-of-6 from the foul line the rest of the way to ice the game.
Ohio Northern finished the game 21-of-65 from the floor for 32.3 percent and made 2-of-25 three-pointer for eight percent.
Otterbein was 21-of-50 from the floor for 42.0 percent and hit 6-of-20 3-pointers for 30.0 percent.
ONU dominated the boards by a 48-31 margin.
"I am proud of the toughness we showed tonight," ONU head coach Mark Huelsman said. "Sydney kept fighting through contact and success inside. She is a hard worker and was rewarded for that tonight. We have struggled shooting the ball the past two nights. We need to keep taking good shots with confidence and they will start to go in."
The Polar Bears will return to action next Friday and Saturday with a pair of games against Heidelberg.
