COLUMBUS, Ohio – Despite shooting almost 60 percent in the first half, Ohio Dominican's women's basketball team came up short in the second half as the Panthers fell 69-59 to visiting Walsh Thursday night in GLIAC play from Alumni Hall.

Sophomore guard Kacee Hockenberry (Haviland, Ohio) scored 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and freshman guard Rachael Torey (Sterling Heights, Mich.) added a season-high 15 points for ODU, which fell to 4-10 (1-10 GLIAC) with the setback. Walsh improved to 5-9 (2-8 GLIAC).

Walsh outscored ODU 38-24 in the second half, and for the game scored 22 points off of 25 Panther turnovers, in addition to 18 second chance points.

The Panthers started the game on an 11-3 run. Hockenberry scored five points in the surge, which was capped by a Torey jump shot at the 16:06 mark. Walsh crept back into the contest, though, going in front 14-13 midway through the frame.

The Panthers answered with a 10-3 run, as Torey and Hockenberry scored in transition during the burst, to build a 23-17 advantage with 7:02 to play. Walsh again was able to respond, regaining a 29-28 lead with just over two minutes to play. A nifty three-point play by sophomore guard Micaela Liddane (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and four points by Hockenberry helped ODU get back in front and take a 35-31 lead into the half.

Hockenberry scored 18 in the first half as the Panthers shot 59.1 percent (13-of-22) in the frame.

ODU had a pair of six-point leads early in the second half, but Walsh came back to grab a 47-45 lead at the 12:55 mark. A layup by junior guard Mykeila Mast (Millersburg, Ohio) knotted it at 47-47 and again at 49-49, but Walsh scored five straight to go in front 54-49 with less than 10 minutes to play.

Torey drained a triple to make it 54-52, and later hit two free throws to keep the Panthers within two at 56-54. But Walsh scored eight straight as the Panthers went nearly seven minutes between field goal makes, and the Cavaliers pulled away with the 10-point win.

Freshman forward Melissa Scherpenberg (Cincinnati, Ohio) had nine rebounds, junior forward Katelyn Stuckey (Millersburg, Ohio) added eight points and six boards off the bench, while Mast finished with seven points and six boards off the bench.

Ohio Dominican returns to action with a 3 p.m. tip against Malone on Saturday in Alumni Hall.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu