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COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's basketball team overcame a slow start Saturday to defeat John Carroll 76-54 in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown at the Capital Center.

Trailing 17-14 at the 10:40 mark of the first half, the Crusaders (7-2 overall, 3-0 OAC) switched gears and turned the deficit into a 36-25 halftime advantage, never looking back in the contest.

Senior forward Stacy Timmerman (New Bremen, Ohio) scored 15 of her game-high 21 points in the first half to lead Capital. Junior forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) tallied 12 points and a game-high six steals, while senior guard Rebekah Will (Millbury, Ohio) contributed with 11 points and six assists.

Junior guard Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) added 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Crusaders held the Blue Streaks (5-3, 0-3) to just 34.6 percent shooting in the contest and forced 28 John Carroll turnovers while committing just eight of their own.

Capital also held a commanding 46-14 advantage on points in the paint.

The Crusaders took an eight-point lead, their largest of the game to that point, with 4:09 left in the first half. Capital made three free throws in the final 33 seconds of the period to take its 11-point advantage into the locker room.

The Crusaders quickly extended their lead to a 46-30 margin after a lay-up off a turnover by freshman guard Simonne Gage (Dayton, Ohio) with 17 minutes on the clock in the second half. After John Carroll whittled it down to a nine-point contest, Capital responded again with a 10-2 run to lead 56-39 just under halfway through the frame.

All 14 players in uniform saw the court for the Crusaders, who passed for 23 assists for a nearly 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Capital resumes OAC play this Wednesday at Wilmington. Tip-off for the contest is slated for 7:30 p.m. in Wilmington, Ohio.