Findlay, Ohio — The University of Findlay women's basketball team used a strong second-half surge to earn a 64–63 Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory over Ohio Dominican on Friday, January 17, at Croy Physical Education Center. The win improves Findlay to 8–8 overall and 4–5 in G-MAC play, while Ohio Dominican drops to 7–9 overall and 2–6 in the conference.
Findlay trailed 24–15 after the first quarter but responded in the second. Senior
Alyssa Ziehler established a presence in the paint with a putback basket, and junior
MacKenzie Schulz knocked down a three-pointer to spark an Oilers run. Junior
Allie Stockton added points at the free-throw line as Findlay trimmed the halftime deficit to 41–36.
The Oilers continued to close the gap in the third quarter, shooting 35.7 percent from the field while holding Ohio Dominican to just 12 points. Schulz hit a transition three, Stockton finished a layup through traffic, and Ziehler scored twice inside as Findlay pulled within one, 53–52, heading into the final period.
The decisive stretch came in the fourth quarter. Senior
Ariyah Douglas scored four consecutive points in the paint to give Findlay its first lead of the game. Schulz later buried a clutch three-pointer with 2:27 remaining to put the Oilers ahead 63–60. Douglas followed by splitting a pair of free throws to extend the lead to four.
Ohio Dominican closed within one in the final seconds, but Findlay secured the victory with key defensive rebounds and a final stop.
Ziehler led Findlay with 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added eight rebounds. Schulz finished with 13 points, including three three-pointers, while Stockton recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Douglas provided a major boost off the bench with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting.
As a team, Findlay shot 35.9 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three-point range. The Oilers outrebounded Ohio Dominican 41–39, collected 11 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points, and forced 12 turnovers, converting them into 19 points.
The Oilers will look to build on the momentum when they host Hillsdale on Thursday, January 22, at 5:30 p.m. at Croy Physical Education Center.