NORTH CANTON, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's women's basketball team hauled down 31 offensive rebounds and started its five-game road trip with a 64-56 victory at Walsh Thursday night in GLIAC play.

The Panthers put four players in double figures, led by freshman Melissa Scherpenberg (Cincinnati, Ohio), who had a monstrous double-double with 16 points and 18 rebounds (12 offensive). Sophomore Kacee Hockenberry (Haviland, Ohio) finished with 14 points, junior Katelyn Stuckey (Millersburg, Ohio) added 12 and classmate Mykeila Mast (Millersburg, Ohio) added a career-best 10 points off the bench.

ODU (7-14, 4-14 GLIAC) finished with a 52-40 edge in rebounding and committed just 13 turnovers in the victory, which, on the heels of Saturday's win over Hillsdale, marks the first time the Panthers have won consecutive GLIAC games since joining the league in 2010-11.

The Panthers got off to a strong start as Hockenberry stepped behind a screen to knock down a three from the right wing, and Mast hit back-to-back threes from the same spot on the left wing – her first two three-pointers of the season – to give the Panthers an 18-8 lead. Stuckey would then finish high off the glass from the right block to cap the 13-2 run and give the Panthers a 20-8 lead at the 10:52 mark.

Walsh scored the game's next seven points to get back within five points at the 7:55 mark. ODU answered, though, with an 8-2 run on jumpers by Hockenberry and sophomore Micaela Liddane (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) and four straight free throws by Scherpenberg.

That pushed ODU's lead to 28-17 with five minutes to play in the half, and the Panthers would take a 32-23 advantage into the locker room. ODU hit four of five three-pointers in the first 20 minutes and converted nine Cavalier turnovers into 12 points.

The Panthers, though, came out cold to start the second half, missing their first 12 shots from the field as Walsh grabbed its first lead since the opening minutes of the game at 34-33 five minutes into the half.

Freshman Alex Hallenbeck (St. Johns, Mich.) made consecutive layups to put ODU back in front, 37-34, and Scherpenberg tallied four straight points on a pair of free throws and a second-effort putback to put ODU in front 43-36 with just over 11 minutes left. Scherpenberg then finished again with her left hand to push the lead back to nine with just over 10 minutes to play.

Walsh drew within 47-42, but Hallenbeck hit three straight free throws to push ODU's advantage to 50-42 with just over seven minutes left. The Cavaliers banked in a deep three with the shot clock expiring to get back within five, but the Panthers were able to stretch it back to 56-47 with less than five minutes left after Hallenbeck hit three free throws and Scherpenberg knocked down two more.

Later, Scherpenberg hit a jump shot from the elbow with the shot clock winding down to keep the lead at 58-49 with 1:48 left, and the Cavaliers could not draw within seven points for the remainder of the contest.

ODU put four players in double figures for the first time this season, and the 52 rebounds and 31 offensive rebounds were also season-highs.

Ohio Dominican continues its five-game road swing with a 3 p.m. contest Saturday at Malone.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu