CANTON, Ohio – The Malone University women's basketball team won their final home game of the regular season 71-63 against Ohio Dominican University. The Pioneers are 22-5 overall and 15-4 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). The Panthers are now 13-14 overall and 8-11 in the conference.
Malone started the game with a 13-0 scoring run with back-to-back triples from
Brinn Hunt and
Elena Oliver. Remaining baskets on the run came from
Irene Maroto and
Katie Kaufman. Ohio Dominican then went on their own scoring run (9-0) to put the score at 13-9 with 1:42 left in the first. To end quarter, Oliver made a layup answered by the Panthers to end it at 15-11.
Hunt started the second with a layup and three, both Ohio Dominican answered with points of their own to make the score 20-15 with 6:56 on the clock. The two teams went bucket-for-bucket around the halfway point in the quarter, 25-20. Ohio Dominican went on a short run to bring them within one at 1:13 left in the half.
Aila Miller netted a layup to put the score at 29-26 but the Panthers would end the half on three made free throws to tie it up 29-29.
Erin Kaufman started the second half with two made free throws to put the Pioneers up remainder of the game. A 6-0 run from Malone would extend their lead to 37-29 with shots from Maroto,
Anna Krupa, and
Erin Kaufman.
Nataley Armstrong and
Kylee Bruce ended the third with baskets which made the score 43-37. The Pioneers only allowed eight points in the quarter.
The fourth quarter was high scoring for both teams (28-26). Just before the halfway mark, Hunt knocked down two triples to put the score at 54-46. With 3:00 left in the game,
Meredith Randulic got an offense rebound and put back to give Malone their largest lead of the night at 60-49. Krupa and
Erin Kaufman would secure the 71-63 Pioneer win with made free throws.
Erin Kaufman led Malone with 18 points followed by Hunt with 16. Hunt was 4-for-9 from three in total.
Erin Kaufman picked up nine rebounds on the game and Maroto ended with five assists. The Pioneers won in second chance points (13-0) and points off of turnovers (21-12). As a team, they shot 43.5% from the field (27-for-62).
Up next, Malone travels to Walsh University for the 30th Annual Mayors' Cup Game. Tip-off will be on Saturday, February 28 at 1:00 P.M.
