By Caleb Scott
The No. 19-ranked Ohio Northern women's basketball team improved to 7-0 for the first time in school history as it defeated Wilmington 78-51 Wednesday evening at the ONU Sports Center.
The Polar Bears improve to a perfect 2-0 in the Ohio Athletic Conference, while the Quakers fall to 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the OAC.
Senior Britt Lauck (Lima/Shawnee) and sophomore Jenna Dirksen (Beavercreek/Carroll) scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, to lead the Polar Bears offensively.
Dirksen eclipsed her previous career-high of 11 points during the contest.
Lauck also added a game-high six assists, while Dirksen added a game and career-best four steals.
Junior Amy Bullimore (Morrow/Little Miami) was just short of a double-double as she notched nine points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Freshman Emily Mescher (Maria Stein/Marion Local) pulled down eight rebounds for Northern.
Northern would take a 16-14 lead into the second quarter as freshman Abby Weeks (Cincinnati/Mount Notre Dame) sunk a free throw.
Wilmington kept the game close as Ashley Andracki nailed a 3-pointer with a minute remaining in the seond period to pull WC within 33-31 at the intermission.
Northern would use a second half surge to gain control of the contest after using a 12-0 run led by five points from Bullimore to extend its lead to 45-31 with 5:46 remaining in the third period.
The Polar Bears woulw gain their largest advantage after a 3-pointer from junior Courtney Cramer (Arcadia) and a steal and fastbreak layup from Weeks pushed the lead to 76-49 with 2:59 left in the contest.
Ohio Northern won the rebounding battle by a 43-36 margin.
ONU shot 32-of-67 (47.8 percent) from the field, including 10-of-19 (52.6 percent) from the three point line.
The Polar Bears return to action Saturday as they play their second consecutive home game and take on Mount Union at 3 pm at the ONU Sports Center.
