TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University women’s basketball team will close its 2011-12 regular season schedule with a three-game road trip beginning Saturday, Feb. 11 in an Ohio Athletic Conference game against Marietta College at Ban Johnson Arena in Marietta, Ohio. Tip-off is slated for 3 p.m.
Live stats for the game will be available at http://sidearmstats.com/marietta/wbball/index.htm.
Heidelberg (4-18, 1-14 OAC) is looking to snap a nine-game losing streak following an 88-82 double overtime loss Wednesday to Ohio Northern University. Sophomore guard Kathleen Phillips (Sandusky/St. Mary’s) poured in a game-high 31 points and made six three-pointers, including a buzzer beater in the first overtime period to send the game into double overtime. Sophomore guard Megan Miller (Tiffin/Columbian) scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed five rebounds, while freshman guard Paige Ricketts (Mineral City/Tusky Valley) and junior forward Molly Schriber (Sidney) each tallied eight markers.
Fourth-year head coach Marcie Alberts will likely run a five-guard set with Phillips, Miller and sophomore guard Emily Giel (Burton/Burkshire), junior Jordan Ickes (Wooster/Triway) and senior Jazmine Shaw (Columbus/Hamilton Township). Phillips scores an OAC-best 18.6 points per game and pulls down 3.7 rpg., is third in the conference with an 83.3 (100-of-120) free throw percentage and is tied for sixth with 49 steals. Miller averages 8.9 ppg. and leads the team with 4.9 rpg. Giel scores 7.4 ppg., is tied for the team lead with 34 assists, and is seventh in the league with a 32.8 (38-of-116) three point shooting percentage. Ickes scores 6.1 ppg., is tied for the team lead with 34 assists and shoots 34.4 (53-of-154) from the field. Shaw averages 2.6 ppg. and 3.0 rpg.
The Berg scores 61.0 ppg., pulls down 36.8 rpg., shoots 34.3 percent overall and is tied for second in the league with 125 three pointers.
Marietta (9-13, 4-11 OAC) sits in a three-way tie for seventh place in the OAC following a 74-56 loss Wednesday to first-place the University of Mount Union. Aleisha Guiler recorded game-highs of 22 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Pioneers.
Fifth-year head coach Jill Meiring will likely start Tori Dixon, Heather Booth, Kristeva Rowe and Sierra Sigman in the back court and Guiler in the middle. Guiler is third in the league in scoring (15.4 ppg.) and sixth in rebounding (7.4 rpg), leads the circuit with an 86.4 (95-of-110) free throw percentage and is fifth with 22 blocks. Dixon tallies 9.2 ppg., shoots 43.9 (72-of-164) percent from the field, including 43.0 (40-of-93) percent from long range, and is tied for ninth in the OAC with 64 assists. Booth scores 8.7 ppg., grabs, 4.8 rpg. and is fifth in the OAC with a 50.9 (82-of-161) shooting percentage. Rowe averages 5.8 ppg., shoots 40.0 (10-of-25) from the three point line and has passed for 43 assists. Sigman tallies 5.6 ppg., and 2.8 rpg.
The Pioneers are fourth in the OAC in scoring (66.7 ppg.), shoot 39.0 percent from the field, including 31.4 percent from the three point line, good for third in the league. Marietta is also second in free throw shooting at 72.3 percent and third in rebounding (39.9 rpg.)
Heidelberg is 7-3 in the series’ last 10 contests, including a 2-3 mark in Marietta. In the last game between the two teams, an 80-79 ‘Berg win in Tiffin on Jan. 7, Phillips poured in a game-high 36 points—one shy of tying the school mark—and Giel added 11 markers. Three Pioneers scored in double figures, led by Booth’s 20 points and seven rebounds, 15 points from Guiler and 12 from Sierra Sigman.
Following Saturday’s contest, Heidelberg will travel to Westerville, Ohio to face Otterbein University on Wednesday, Feb. 11 before wrapping up its season Saturday, Feb. 18 at the University of Mount Union.
Probable Starters: Marietta (9-13, 4-11 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Tori Dixon—22-7—9.2 ppg., 43.9 FG%, 43.0 3FG%, 64 ast.
Sierra Sigman—22-22—5.6 ppg., 2.8 rpg.
Kristeva Rowe—22-22—5.8 ppg., 40.0 3FG%, 70.0 FT%, 43 ast.
Aleisha Guiler—22-22—15.4 ppg., 7.4 rpg., 46.1 FG%, 86.4 FT%
Heather Booth—22-9—8.7 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 50.9 FG%, 84.4 FT%
Probable Starters: Heidelberg (4-18, 1-14 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Jordan Ickes—22-22—6.1 ppg., 34.4 FG%, 34 ast.
Emily Giel—22-22—7.4 ppg., 32.8 3FG%, 34 ast.
Kathleen Phillips—21-20—18.6 ppg., 38.1 FG%, 83.3 FT%, 49 stl.
Jazmine Shaw—22-12—2.6 ppg., 3.0 rpg.
Megan Miller—22-22—8.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 23 stl.