COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's basketball team overcame an uncharacteristic offensive performance Wednesday to gut out a 68-58 triumph over Heidelberg in an Ohio Athletic Conference affair at the Capital Center.

With the win, the Crusaders (11-6 overall, 8-3 OAC) remain one game behind John Carroll for first place in the conference standings.

Entering the game averaging just over 14 turnovers per contest, Capital committed 21 of its own, but knocked down 19-of-25 at the free throw line and shot 44.9 percent while holding Heidelberg (10-7, 3-7) to 32 percent for the contest. The Crusaders also forced 19 'Berg miscues in the game.

Senior guard Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) paced Capital's balanced scoring attack with 15 points. Senior forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) totaled 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Coming off a career-best 25-point performance on Saturday at Baldwin Wallace, freshman guard Lauren Stefancin (Mentor, Ohio) continued her hot shooting, knocking down three 3-pointers en route to 11 points.

Sophomore guard Simonne Gage (Dayton, Ohio) posted six points to go along with team-highs of eight rebounds and six assists.

In the first half, the 'Berg jumped out to a 16-8 advantage with 12:14 to play in the period. Kathleen Phillips, who entered the game as the league's second-leading scorer, tallied 13 of Heidelberg's 16 points, but was forced to go to the bench after committing her second personal foul at the 10:59 mark.

Stefancin gave the Crusaders their first lead of the half, 23-21, with a 3-pointer with 4:48 on the clock. She hit two more from long range to give Capital its largest lead of the frame at 29-25 with 3:23 to play.

Heidelberg tied the contest at 31-31 with just under a minute to go in the first half, but sophomore guard Nina Napolitano (Akron, Ohio) picked up a steal and lay-up at the other end to give the Crusaders a 33-31 advantage at the break.

Capital, which entered the game as the No. 1 team in the OAC in fewest turnovers per contest, committed 11 in the opening half, but forced 11 'Berg miscues and shot 52.4 percent in the frame.

In the second, Geroski hit her first two shots and Gage found Caton on two beautiful passes in transition to put the Crusaders ahead 44-37 with 14:03 to play in the half.

Geroski and Caton scored Capital's first 15 points of the second half before Gage found junior guard Shelby Sheets (Fayetteville, Ohio), who converted a 3-point play to make it 51-43 Crusaders at the 9:35 mark.

After Heidelberg cut its deficit to three at the 5:18 mark, Geroski knocked in a 3-pointer and Capital never let the 'Berg within two possessions the rest of the way.

The Crusaders outscored Heidelberg 28-12 in the paint and registered 20 points off turnovers.

Capital hosts Mount Union this Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Capital Center. The Crusaders look to avenge a 78-64 setback against the Purple Raiders in Alliance back on Jan. 4.