The Capital University women's basketball team closed the road portion of its regular season schedule with a solid all-around performance Wednesday, defeating Marietta 80-59 in an Ohio Athletic Conference contest at Marietta, Ohio.

With OAC leader John Carroll's loss at Baldwin Wallace, the Crusaders (14-7 overall, 11-4 OAC) move to just one game behind the Blue Streaks and Yellow Jackets for first place in the league standings.

Five players scored in double figures for Capital, including freshman guard Lauren Stefancin (Mentor, Ohio), who paced the team with 16 points, including 14 in the first half. Senior guard Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) added 12 points, five rebounds and a team-best six assists.

Sophomore guard Simonne Gage (Dayton, Ohio) totaled 11 points, five rebounds and five assists, while junior forward Monica Heckman (Pitsburg, Ohio) tallied 11 points and five rebounds. Senior forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) contributed with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Crusaders held the Pioneers (10-12, 4-11) to 38.2 percent shooting, including 30 percent in the first half. Capital turned in an efficient performance on the offensive end, shooting 42.5 percent from the floor and committing just seven turnovers.

In the first half, Stefancin got hot to lead a strong Capital offense, which shot 48.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from 3-point range. Four different players hit 3-pointers for the Crusaders, including three from Stefancin.

Capital led for the majority of the first half, jumping out to a 12-4 lead nearly eight minutes into the contest. Junior guard Shelby Sheets' 3-pointer with 6:38 on the clock gave the Crusaders a 26-18 advantage.

A buzzer-beating jumper by sophomore guard Nina Napolitano (Akron, Ohio) gave Capital its largest lead of the half, a 42-30 margin.

In the second, Marietta cut the Crusaders' lead down to nine with 12:49 to play, but a 7-0 quick spurt, highlighted by Geroski's 3-pointer, put Capital ahead 60-44 with 11:36 on the clock.

Four straight points by Gage gave the Crusaders an 18-point lead with 7:22 left, and Capital reached its largest advantage of the game at 77-55 following a lay-up by sophomore Kristen Thompson (Cincinnati, Ohio) with 3:09 on the clock.

The Crusaders held a 20-2 advantage in points off turnovers, while the Capital reserves, led by Stefancin and Thompson (eight points, eight rebounds), outscored the Pioneers' bench 33-23.

The Crusaders begin a three-game home stand Saturday against cross-town rival Otterbein at 4 p.m. for the second half of a men's-women's doubleheader at the Capital Center. At halftime of the men's game, which begins at 2 p.m., the 2014 Athletics Award winners, including the institution's Hall of Fame inductees, will be recognized.

Athletics Hall of Fame inductees for 2014 include Karen Haban '87 and the 1994 and 1995 NCAA Division III championship women's basketball teams. Current head women's basketball coach Dixie Jeffers led each of those squads to the national title.