WILMINGTON, Ohio – A 23-5 second quarter swing saw the Capital University women's basketball team to an important 71-58 win over Wilmington College on Wednesday evening. 

The win proved to be a huge swing for the Comets as entering the game, both Capital and Wilmington carried 8-3 records with a 2-2 mark in the conference, and sat third and fourth in the standings. With the result, Cap now garners full ownership of third place in the OAC standings and maintains a 9-3 record and 3-2 OAC mark. The Quakers now sit 8-4 and 2-3 in conference. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Comets came out a bit slow and found themselves trailing 24-15 with 7:50 left in the second quarter. Despite that sluggish start that saw Cap only score 13 first quarter points, the Purple and White finished that final 7:50 of the half on a 21-2 run to carry a 36-26 lead at the break. 

A pair of free throws by Samaree Perkins followed by a layup from Bri O'Connor set Cap on their way. That pressure led to another two free throws by Perkins that then led to four consecutive free throws from O'Connor to trim the deficit to 26-25. 

Down by just one, Jenna Horsley knocked down a triple off a feed from Laney Murphy to give Cap their first lead of the game. Horsley, who had just found the bottom of the basket from beyond the arc, kept the confidence going as she put home two more 3-pointers to put some distance in the score. The cherry on top of the dominating second quarter was another layup by O'Connor to send the halftime lead to double digits. 

The intermission initially proved beneficial for the Quakers as they trimmed the Comet lead down to just six points at 38-32. 

Despite the hot start from the hosts, Capital responded with an 8-point swing to build out their largest lead yet at 14 points when Samaree Perkins hit a layup with 2:54 left in the frame. From there, the only trimming at the advantage would be a 3-pointer at the horn from Wilmington's Bekah Bowser bringing the third quarter score to 52-42. 

In the fourth quarter, Capital entered maintenance mode and took care of business by converting a bulk of their free throws, finishing the game 25-of-33 from the stripe throughout the game. That edge helped the Purple and White to a comfortable 13-point win. 

THE NUMBERS
Bri O'Connor finished the game with 20 points, five rebounds and three assists. She remains second in the OAC in scoring per game with 15.8 per contest. 

Samaree Perkins had a solid night, putting up 15 points, four rebounds and an assist. 

Laney Murphy scored double digits for the 10th time this season with 12 points. She remains fourth in the conference with 14.2 points per game. 

Maddi Weiland had a well-rounded night with a team-high nine rebounds, all four of the team's four blocks, an assist and a steal. 

Jenna Horsley chipped in a solid nine points off the bench. 

THE OPPONENT
Points - Kennedy Lewis (18)
Rebounds - Marisa Seiler (9)
Assists - Jada Pohlen/Zahrya Bailey (3)
Blocks - Jada Pohlen (2)
Steals - Kennedy Lewis/Cassidy Lovett (3)

UP NEXT
Capital will return home to The Capital Center on Saturday, January 7th for a 4 p.m. tipoff against Mount Union. The game will take place immediately after the conclusion of the men's contest which tips at 2 p.m.