Capital stays perfect in comeback win over #10 Ohio Wesleyan
The Comets are now 8-0 and continuing to rise in the national conversation
Keep a close eye on Columbus, Ohio. It seems that Capital is back on the map. That’s right, the two-time national champs (in 1994 and 1995) haven’t been to an NCAA Tournament since 2014, though it certainly looks like the Comets have a group capable of changing that this season.
Yesterday was a prime example. Down 58-52 with 2:13 left, Capital had trailed the entire second half to 10th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan. Then Bri O’Connor took over. The senior guard hit a 3, cutting the deficit to 58-55. She grabbed a defensive rebound on the other end, and promptly knocked down another triple 10 seconds later. Tied game.
But Capital kept going. The Comets held OWU scoreless for the final 2:13, closing on a 10-0 run as they secured a massive Top-10 win at home, 62-58. On the same day that OWU broke into the D3hoops.com Top 10, Capital handed the Battling Bishops their first loss. And it was a day to remember for the hosts, as Capital now holds an 8-0 record, the program’s best start since 2005-06. Two more victories and they’ll be the first Capital team in two decades to open a season 10-0. With the way they’re playing, it certainly seems plausible that Capital can beat MSOE and DePauw/Adrian on back-to-back days.
It’s been difficult to get a good read on Region 7 this season. There’s a lot of conflicting results involving some of the top teams. But Capital has now strung together quality wins over Ohio Northern and Ohio Wesleyan just three days apart, and the undefeated record starts carrying more weight as we get deeper into the season. I definitely expect Capital to have a good shot at breaking into the Top 25 when we vote again.
» O’Connor continues to be a huge scoring threat, and had 26 points against OWU, going 10-of-19 from the field. That was complemented by her seven steals on the defensive end, as she now averages 20.5 PPG and 4.75 steals/game, both of which rank No. 1 by a solid margin in the OAC. Frontrunner for OAC Player of the Year? I think so.
» Samaree Perkins recorded a double-digit rebounding performance for the fifth time this season, grabbing 14 boards in the victory. She is the only player in the OAC averaging more than 10.0 RPG (11.3).
» Macy Miller put up a double-double in a fairly solid performance for OWU, as she scored 23 points along with 10 rebounds, five of which came on the offensive end.
Triple OT in the MIAA!
» Adrian and Olivet played late into Monday night, needing three overtime periods to decide a winner in league play. Adrian ultimately prevailed, weathering the storm and closing on a 12-2 run for an 87-77 win.
» Neither side used a large rotation, both playing 10 or fewer in the game. A combined seven players (4 for Adrian, 3 for Olivet) were on the floor for 40+ minutes, including Olivet’s Clara Shoales, who played a game-high 49 minutes before fouling out.
» The game was back-and-forth for the most part, with 11 lead changes, and 12 ties. Hannah Lisch prompted the tie that initially sent the contest in OT, hitting a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation, tying it at 62. Then in the first OT, it was Olivet’s Kinsley Hatfield who delivered the game-tying score with a 3 at the 36-second mark. And in double OT, once again it was Adrian coming up with a big shot, as Kaitlyn Otto connected on a 3 with just two seconds left, tying it at 75. Adrian took control from there.
No. 24 Catholic pushed by Mount St. Mary
» In the opener of the DC Classic, Catholic was nearly put on upset alert, watching its 20-7 lead dissolve as MSMC found traction. The Knights outscored Catholic, 23-13 in the second quarter, and kept pace into the second half, tying it at 44-44 with 2:28 left in the third.
» Catholic put the game away with a 9-0 run that closed the third and carried into the fourth, sealing an eventual 66-53 win.
» Elizabeth Lofaro scored 17 points in 23 minutes off the bench to keep MSMC in it. She was the Knights’ lone double-digit scorer. Catholic’s Carly Mulvaney, despite scoring just three points, had a career-high in rebounds, with 16, contributing heavily to the Cardinals’ +8 advantage on the boards.
New D3hoops.com Top 25 is out!
» My ballot breakdown should be coming to you tomorrow, but here’s the link to the Week 4 D3hoops.com Top 25, released yesterday evening.
» Biggest movers: Ohio Wesleyan (+2), Carnegie Mellon (+2), Whitman (-2), Mass Dartmouth (-2)
» With so few games involving ranked teams last week, the poll generally stayed the same from Week 3 to Week 4, with the same 25 teams ranked in both.
Today’s Games to Watch (all times ET)
#2 Wartburg at Mary Hardin-Baylor, 3:00 p.m.
McMurry at ETBU, 5:00 p.m.
North Central (IL) at Coe, 5:00 p.m.
DeSales at #7 Scranton, 7:00 p.m.
#18 Chicago at #3 Illinois Wesleyan, 8:00 p.m.