COLUMBUS, Ohio - The four-seeded Capital University women's basketball team hosted the five-seed Marietta Pioneers in the quarterfinals of the OAC tournament tonight. Bri O'Connor was the driving force behind the Comet victory, scoring a career high 35 points while tying her career high in steals (8) and blocks (3). Despite a close first half, Capital was able to make the necessary adjustments and were able to dominate the second half, ultimately leading to a 70-55 win.

The win allows the Comets to advance and moves their record to 20-6 overall and 13-5 in OAC play. The loss ends Marietta's season, where they finished with a record of 15-11 overall and 9-9 in OAC play.

The first quarter was a defensive battle between the two teams. Each side was able to force turnovers, with both sides struggling to manufacture points. Bri O'Connor and Kendall Spreen played a huge role for the Comets defensively, hounding the ball handler and flying around the court. Offensively, almost all of the Comets points came from the free throw line as they were able to get to the rim and draw fouls. Despite this, Marietta's defensive effort allowed them to go into the second quarter with a 14-11 lead.

Quarter number two was much more offensively inclined. Bri O'Connor found her stride and went off, scoring 18 of the Comets 35 total. Defensively Capital continued to pressure the ball. They were able to turn stops into points and break the Marietta press that had slowed them down some in the first half. Three-point efficiency was big for the Purple and White, shooting 35% to Marietta's 30.8% which allowed them to go into the half with a 35-28 lead.

Bri O'Connor's dominance continued into the second half. A pair of layups from O'Connor and a huge three from Laney Murphy allowed Capital to go on a 7-0 run, forcing a Pioneer timeout and extending their lead to 11. The Comets kept up the defensive intensity, allowing them to maintain their lead heading into the fourth quarter with a score of 55-41.

Capital was able to run away with it in the fourth. The team was firing on all cylinders, finding the open player and making the most of their opportunities. Once again, O'Connor had a huge performance for the Comets in the fourth quarter on both ends of the ball. Laney Murphy and Samaree Perkins were a big part of the Capital offensive game plan as well. Overall, it was a strong team effort that propelled the Comets to a massive 70-55 tournament win.

THE NUMBERS
Bri O'Connor had a career night, scoring a career high 35 points on a perfect 8/8 from the charity stripe. She also tied her career high in steals with eight and blocks with three. She led the team in all three categories.

Laney Murphy played well on the offensive end, scoring 12 points on an impressive 40% from the three point line. Murphy also had four rebounds and two assists

Samaree Perkins finished with a solid 11 points, but what was most impressive were her 13 boards, a stat in which she led the team. Perkins also led the team in assists with three.

Maddi Weiland was a monster on the boards as well, raking in 11 rebounds. She also had a steal and a block each, showing her versatility on the defensive side.

Kya Jordan contributed on both sides of the ball, scoring six points and grabbing four rebounds. She also had two assists as well as steals.

UP NEXT
The Capital University women's basketball team is set to play Baldwin Wallace, who is ranked 5th nationally in the most recent NPI rankings, in the semifinal round of the OAC tournament. The game is set to take play Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 pm in Berea, Ohio.