Muskies' Water Tested at Heidelberg

The Heidelberg women’s basketball team cut a 13-point second half deficit to three points in the final seconds, but could not overcome visiting Muskingum College in an Ohio Athletic Conference game, 57-52.
 
Muskingum’s Tiffany Youel hit two free throws with six seconds on the clock to help the Muskies fish out a win in Heidelberg’s Seiberling Gymnasium.
 
Following the contest Heidelberg stands at 4-12 overall and 1-8 in the OAC, while Muskingum improves to 10-4 overall and 5-2 against league foes.
 
Muskingum scored first in the contest and eventually built a 12-point first half lead, 17-5. The Berg overcame a slow start on the shooting of Brittany Skolnicki (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview), answering with a 9-0 run. Skolnicki contributed seven of the nine points during the run to pull the Berg within three points, 17-14, with just under 10 minutes to play in the half.
 
The two teams battled back and forth with Muskingum pulling ahead by seven, only to see the Berg bounce back to within four points. Both teams were held scoreless over the final 2:43 of the first half, giving the Muskies a 27-23 halftime lead.
 
Heidelberg’s Morgan Harrigan (Urbana, Ohio / Urbana) opened the second half with back-to-back trey’s to knot the game at 29-29. Muskingum answered to regain the lead that it would never relinquish. The Muskies extended its lead to as many as 13 points, 52-49. The Berg closed out the contest outscoring Muskingum 13-5, but it was not enough to pull out the upset.
 
For the game, Heidelberg outshot Muskingum 37.3 percent (19-of-51) to 33.8 percent (22-of-65). Of its 19 field goals, seven were from long range by the Berg led by five from Harrigan. On the glass, Muskingum held a 44-36 advantage.
 
Harrigan led the Berg with 15 points, while Jenny Miller (Tiffin, Ohio / Clyde) came off the bench to score 10 points and share team honors with Skolnicki with nine boards apiece. Skolnicki also added nine points. Stacey Barker (Grove City, Ohio / Grove City) dished out a career-high eight assists.
 
Youel led the Muskies with 25 points, while Jessica McKenzie finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.