Strong start, strong finish lead Women's Basketball team to 68-43 victory over Heidelberg

By Tim Glon

ADA — Ohio Northern started the game on an 18-2 run and ended it on an 11-0 run to post a 68-43 Ohio Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over Heidelberg on Friday night at the ONU Sports Center.

The Polar Bears (2-3 overall, 2-3 OAC) got a team-high 13 points from junior Lexi Jacobs (Wapakoneta), while junior Kate Iliff (Lorain/Steele) had her first career double-double with 12 points and a career-high 12 rebounds.

Sophomore Brynn Serbin (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) had six points and a career-best six steals for ONU.

The Student Princes (1-4, 1-4) were led by Brooke Beamer with a game-high 17 points.

Northern scored the game's first 10 points and led 18-2 seven minutes into the game as Iliff had five points early.

HU answered with a 19-4 run to pull within 22-21 with 4:53 left in the half.

A basket by junior Alissa Stahler (Lima/Shawnee) stopped the run and the Polar Bears ended the half on a 11-1 run to lead 33-22 at intermission.

Jacobs made a 3-pointer and senior Sydney Ward (Columbus/Upper Arlington) scored inside to start the second half as ONU extended the run to 16-1 to lead 38-22 with 6:57 left in the third.

Heidelberg would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way and ONU ended the game on an 11-0 run, holding the visitors scoreless for the final 5:42.

"I am proud of the way we played as a team tonight," ONU head coach Mark Huelsman said. "Lexi (Jacobs) got into an offensive rhythm and Kate (Iliff) did a great job rebounding. Brynn (Serbin) was very active with her hands on defense and Emily (Brock) gave us a big spark."

Ohio Northern made 25-of-65 field goal attempts for 38.5 percent and were 6-of-25 from the 3-point line for 24.0 percent, while holding the Student Princes to 16-of-61 shooting from the floor (26.2 percent) and 5-of-24 from three (20.8 percent).

Each team had 43 rebounds. ONU forced HU into 21 turnovers while committing only seven.

The Polar Bears will return to action on Saturday with the return game of the home-and-home series with Heidelberg at Tiffin.