Yellow Jackets snap 10-game skid, top Oilers

FINDLAY --Despite coming into Thursday's game on a 10-game losing streak dating back to January 8, Cedarville University women's basketball surprised the University of Findlay 70-60 on the road on Thursday evening.The Yellow Jackets went on a 13-0 run in the closing minutes of the first quarter, then hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to take a 21-14 lead going into the second quarter. Cedarville began the second much like it ended the first, as it went on a 10-4 run. The Oilers were able to cut the deficit to just five points with five to play in the first half, but the Yellow Jackets were able to extend the lead back up to nine, 40-31, headed into the break. Cedarville led by 11 as the fourth quarter began, and held on for a 10-point win. A late comeback try by Findlay shrank the lead to six points with just under 28 seconds to go, but Cedarville connected time and time again from the free-throw line to put the game away. 11 of Findlay's turnovers occurred in the first half, with seven coming in the opening quarter. The Oilers also allowed Cedarville to shoot 6-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, a bad combination for a team trying to remain in the playoff hunt. Findlay was also out-rebounded 42-28, allowing 16 offensive rebounds. Cedarville's Emma Kay Martin went 9-of-15 from the floor, leading all scorers with 24 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Ella Sellars ended with 16 points, shooting 50-percent from the floor. Cait Behling went 3-for-4 from long range, tacking on nine points. Findlay's Ariyah Douglas continued her stellar offensive play, finishing with 18 points and knocking down four of her six three-point attempts. Senior forward Alyssa Ziehler continued to climb up Findlay's all-time scoring list, with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double to put her at 1232 points and just eight points away from 13th place in the record books. Allie Stockton had nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. MacKenzie Schulz also put up nine points. Point guards Taylor Stanley and Sophie Huffman each poured in four points, three assists, and two steals. "We played poorly," Findlay coach Michele Durand said. "We turned the ball over, we didn't rebound, and we didn't shoot it very well. All those things add up. Pretty much the last three games, it's been the same."The Oilers fell to 14-11, and find themselves just two games above five hundred in conference play at 10-8. The rest of the season will be crucial as Findlay has just two regular-season games remaining with the playoffs still up in the air. "They've gotta come back," Durand added. "They've got a long weekend, and they've gotta come back with some fight. If we don't do that, then we're not gonna be in the tournament."Findlay has a week to prepare before traveling to Hillsdale on Thursday, and then closing the season with a home contest against rival Ashland on February 28. CEDARVILLEMartin 9-5–24, Sellars 7-1–16, Behling 3-0–9, Sandel 2-2–6, Hubert 1-3–6, Loughry 2-0–4, Downing 1-0–2, Laker 1-0–2, Toney 0-1–1. TOTALS: 26-12–70.FINDLAYDouglas 5-4–18, Ziehler 5-4–14, Stockton 2-5–9, Schulz 3-0–9, Stanley 2-0–4, Huffman 2-0–4, Freeman 1-0–2. TOTALS: 20-13–60. Cedarville 21 19 15 15–70Findlay 14 17 13 16–60THREE-POINT FIELD GOALS: Cedarville 6-19 (Behling 3); Findlay 7-18 (Douglas 4).REBOUNDS: Cedarville 42 (Sandel 8); Findlay 28 (Ziehler 13). TURNOVERS: Cedarville 14, Findlay 16.