COLUMBUS, OH – The Ohio Dominican women’s basketball team recently played against the No. 1 ranked Grand Valley State Lakers at Alumni Hall after a strong home opener against the Davenport Panthers. Unfortunately, the Panthers were unable to secure a victory this time, losing 67–49.
In the matchup, Ohio Dominican struggled with a shooting percentage of 29.1%, making just 16 of 55 attempts. Their performance from beyond the three-point line was particularly challenging, landing at only 15% with three successful shots out of 20 attempts. However, the team excelled at the free-throw line, concluding the game with a commendable 14 out of 16, translating to an impressive 87.5% success rate.
The Panthers notched a total of 22 points in the paint and utilized contributions from their bench, which accounted for 20 points. Jazmyn Wheeler led the bench with 10 points, showcasing a strong effort throughout the match. Notably, the Panthers capitalized on Grand Valley State’s turnovers, converting them into 14 points, which kept the game competitive during crucial moments.
Despite facing a challenging start, trailing 23–9 after the first quarter, Ohio Dominican fought back in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers 19–12 with a shooting improvement to 38.9%. By halftime, the Panthers narrowed the gap, trailing only 35–28.
The second half posed new challenges for Ohio Dominican, as Grand Valley State found their offensive rhythm, shooting 57.1% in the third quarter while the Panthers dropped to 33.3% from the field and went scoreless from three-point range. The Lakers eventually extended their lead to as much as 22 points in the final quarter. Although Ohio Dominican struggled late in the game, shooting only 1 for 10 from the field, they maintained their free-throw accuracy by converting 7 of their 9 attempts in the last period.
Leading the Panthers in scoring was senior Sarah Ochs, who recorded a team-high 16 points on 6 of 14 shooting, also hitting 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. Wheeler’s contributions off the bench, along with five rebounds and a steal, were vital, while freshman Lucy Porter demonstrated solid defense, collecting six rebounds.
This game marks the first loss of the season for Ohio Dominican. The team is now focused on their upcoming non-conference game against Clarion, scheduled for 5:30 PM on Thursday at Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium.
