Women's Basketball: Ohio Northern (20-6 Overall, 13-5 OAC) at No. 25 John Carroll (22-4 Overall, 15-3 OAC)

Thursday, February 27, 2020, 7 p.m. - Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center, University Heights, Ohio

| OAC Tournament site |  

Thursday's Preview: The Ohio Northern women's basketball team continues play in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Thursday … No. 3-seeded Northern travels to the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center to battle No. 2-seeded John Carroll in the semifinals … This marks the 10th straight year in which the Polar Bears have advanced to the conference tournament semifinals … ONU, which boasts a 20-6 overall record and a 14-5 mark in OAC play, is riding a five-game winning streak … Northern is fresh off a 58-50 home victory over No. 6-seeded Mount Union in the quarterfinals Tuesday … In that game, senior Abby Weeks poured in a career-high 18 points to go alongside six rebounds and three steals … Weeks averages 9.6 points per game … Fellow senior Emily Mescher paces the Polar Bears this season, tallying 11.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest … Sophomore Lexi Jacobs and senior Jaclyn Yankle add 6.4 and 6.1 points per game, respectively … Northern averages 61.7 points per contest, connecting on 39.8 percent of its field-goal attempts and 28.8 percent of its 3-pointers … ONU also gets it done defensively, holding foes to 54.8 points per game, which is second best in the OAC … No. 25 John Carroll lays claim to a 22-4 overall record, which includes a 15-3 mark in conference action … The Blue Streaks, who have won three in a row, toppled No. 7-seeded Wilmington 79-67 Tuesday in the quarterfinals … John Carroll averages 70.8 points per contest, while surrendering an OAC-best 53.5 points per game … Olivia Nagy leads the Blue Streaks, recording 15.9 points per game, while Nicole Heffington chips in 14.9 points per contest … The winner between the Polar Bears and Blue Streaks will play the winner between top-seeded Baldwin Wallace and No. 4-seeded Marietta Saturday for the OAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

Ohio Northern Probable Starters:

G - #13 Jaidyn Hale, So. (5.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 44 ast)
G - #15 Abby Weeks, Sr. (9.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg)
G - #20 Lexi Jacobs, So. (6.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 46 ast apg)
G - #22 Jaclyn Yankle, Sr. (6.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 33 3FGs)
F - #44 Sydney Ward, Jr. (5.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, .593 FG%)

ONU Statistical Leaders:

All-Time Series: Ohio Northern owns a 42-27 all-time record versus John Carroll … The Polar Bears — who are 20-16 all-time against the Blue Streaks in University Heights — have won 16 of the last 22 matchups, which includes both of the season's meetings … Northern claimed a 62-55 victory Jan. 4 in Ada and a 59-58 win Feb. 15 in University Heights. 

Head Coach Michele Durand: Durand is in her 19th season at the helm of the Ohio Northern women's basketball team … She's the all-time winningest coach in program history, laying claim to a 333-182 record, a .647 winning percentage.