ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Coe College women's basketball team got back to winning ways on Saturday evening, picking up a 48-47 victory over Ohio Wesleyan University in the McWilliams Classic consolation game at WashU. Coe built a double-digit lead from the jump, outscoring OWU 19-5 in the opening quarter but the Battling Bishops fought back and pulled within 11 points at the half. Ohio Wesleyan continued to slice into Coe's lead in the third and fourth quarter, getting within two points of Coe with less than two minutes to play but a crucial layup from
Molly Buck gave the Kohawks a two-possession lead which proved enough for the victory. Freshman
Caydee Kirkham was the driving force behind Coe's offense, scoring a career-high with a 20-point effort, the first of her freshman campaign. The win moves Coe to 4-1 overall while Ohio Wesleyan drops to 2-3 on the year.
GAME FACTS:
COE 48 - OHIO WESLEYAN 47
- The teams traded buckets over the first three minutes of the game with Coe holding a marginal one-point lead thanks to a 3 from Molly Buck. The Kohawks then took control, scoring 10-straight points to go up 15-4 at the 3:55 mark of the first. The Battling Bishops slowed the run with a free throw but the Kohawks ended the quarter with four unanswered points, taking a 19-5 advantage into the second period.
- Coe got three straight to begin the quarter, pushing its lead to 17 points less than two minutes into the frame. Ohio Wesleyan answered, getting six unanswered points over the next 3:15 to pull within 11 points at 22-11. Coe came back with four-straight during the next 50 seconds but OWU scored the final four points of the half, cutting Coe's lead to 26-15 at the half.
- The squads went back-and-forth to begin the third period but back-to-back buckets pulled the Battling Bishops within 10 points at the 5:38 mark of the third. The Kohawks ended the spurt with a pair of free throws from Kirkham but Ohio Wesleyan used a 6-2 run to pull within seven at the end of three quarters.
- Coe regained a double-digit lead in the opening moments of the fourth, getting a pair of buckets from Petersen and a layup from Kirkham to go in front 42-31. Ohio Wesleyan refused to go away quietly, ripping off seven unanswered points to pull within four points with 4:33 left to play. The Kohawks got an answer two possessions later as Kirkham knocked down a pair of freebies but the Battling Bishop charge continued, getting a jumper and two free throws to make it 44-42 with under two minutes remaining. Coe hung on down the stretch thanks to a crucial layup from Buck who put the Kohawks up four points with 18 seconds to play. Ohio Wesleyan ended up hitting a last-ditch 3 with five seconds to play but were unable to make something happen in the waning seconds of the game.
Up next: The Kohawks return to action on Tuesday, November 22, hosting Luther College at 5:30 PM in their first conference matchup of the season.
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