Senior Karissa Steffas scores game-high as No. 23 ranked Women's Basketball defeats Case Western Reserve 72-51

By Ashley Birchmeier

ADA — Senior Karissa Steffas leads the No. 23 ranked Ohio Northern women's basketball team past Case Western Reserve 72-51 Wednesday evening at the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears improve to 8-2 overall, while the Spartans fall to 4-6.

Steffas led all scores in the contest with a team-high 14 points, while seniors Brooke Espenschied and Precious Ramsey each recorded 13 points a piece. 

Northern took an early lead in the first quarter as the Polar Bears put together a 5-0 run to take the 11-4 advantage with 5:29 to play.

Espenschied would close out the first quarter for ONU as she hit a layup as time expired to give the Polar Bears the 19-11 advantage.

The Polar Bears continued to dominate in the second quarter as freshman Jenna Dirksen would spark an ONU 11-0 run with 5:54 remaining to push the ONU lead to 31-17.

Case Western would end the run with 2:43 remaining till the break as senior Laura Mummey would connect on a jumper pulling the Spartans within 31-19.

Northern would out score Case Western Reserve in the quarter 18-8 en route to a 37-19 halftime advantage.

The third quarter started much of the same as Ramsey would connect on back to back jumpers pushing the ONU lead to 41-19 with 8:15 remaining.

Senior Carly Thomas would lead ONU in the third quarter as she connected on a layup in the final seconds of the quarter to put the Polar Bears on top 64-33.

Case Western would come alive in the fourth quarter out scoring ONU 18-8.

The Spartans would open the quarter with an 8-0 run led by sophomore Kara Hageman to pull the Spartans within 68-38.

However, the Polar Bears were able to combat the threat and claim the 72-51 victory.

Case Western was led in the contest by Mummey with a team-high 13 points.

Northern returns to action Saturday as they travel to Ohio Wesleyan, tip off set for 3 pm.