COLUMBUS – The Capital University women's basketball team remained in the hunt for an Ohio Athletic Conference regular season title Saturday with an 82-72 victory over cross-town rival Otterbein in the second half of a men's-women's doubleheader at the Capital Center.

The Crusaders (15-7 overall, 12-4 OAC) remain one game behind John Carroll and Baldwin Wallace for first place in the league standings.

Capital used a blazing hot start to the first half and a similar spurt early in the second to run past the Cardinals (7-16, 3-13) and clinch the school's first men's-women's season sweep over Otterbein since the 2008-09 campaign.

Senior forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) led all scorers with 18 points, while senior guard Cookie Geroski (Fostoria, Ohio) posted 17 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Sophomore Kristen Thompson (Cincinnati, Ohio) continued her strong play in the frontcourt with 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Sophomore guard Simonne Gage (Dayton, Ohio) registered 16 points and a game-high eight assists against just three turnovers.

Freshman guard Lauren Stefancin (Mentor, Ohio) posted 10 points for her fourth game in the last seven in double-figure scoring.

The Crusaders shot 43.1 percent from the floor and totaled 23 second-chance points. The Cardinals shot 45.9 percent from the field.

Capital hit its first nine shot attempts and both of its free throws to take a 21-10 advantage just over six minutes into the contest. All seven players who entered the game to that point scored for the Crusaders.

Stefancin put Capital ahead 24-12 with 12:22 on the clock on her second 3-pointer of the game, Otterbein began to chip away at its deficit, eventually trailing by just a possession, 34-32, with 3:06 to play in the period.

The Crusaders scored nine of the half's final 13 points, heading into the locker room with a 43-36 advantage following a 3-pointer by Geroski and a pair of free throws by Gage.

Capital extended its lead to double digits early in the second half, with Caton and Thompson combining for the first seven points to push the Crusaders' lead to 50-36 by the 17:48 mark. From there, the team led by no less than nine points.

Prior to Saturday's contest, the 1994 and 1995 women's basketball national championship teams were inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame. Dixie Jeffers, who is currently in her 28th season at Capital and 31st overall as a head coach, led those teams, which compiled a two-year record of 63-1 and, in 1994-95, became the first Division III program to finish a season undefeated (33-0).

The 2014 Athletics Hall of Fame inductees and special award recipients were honored at halftime of the men's contest. Former head football coach Jim Collins, track and field standout Joe Dobos II '72, women's basketball star Karen Haban '87, football defensive back George Quil '71 and football quarterback Kevin Reed '83 were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. Don V. Schiff '59 received the Hugo C. Wenzel Award of Merit, while Jeffrey L. Jenkins '63 earned the Crusader Distinguished Service Award. Emma McCarron '13 of the cross country and track and field programs was named winner of the Berea Boots Award.

Capital continues its three-game home stand Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Muskingum.