COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio Dominican's women's basketball team started the game on a 20-0 run and held off a second half Hillsdale charge to take a 67-59 victory Saturday in GLIAC play at Alumni Hall.

The victory was ODU's first over Hillsdale since joining the GLIAC as the Panthers improved to 6-14 (3-14), while the Chargers fell to 8-12 (5-12 GLIAC). Hillsdale had won the first five meetings in the series.

ODU's defense sparked the team to its 20-0 burst over the game's opening nine and a half minutes, as the Panthers harassed Hillsdale into missing its first 14 shots of the contest. An old-fashioned three-point play by sophomore guard Kacee Hockenberry (Haviland, Ohio), off of a nice feed by classmate Micaela Liddane (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.), staked ODU to a 9-0 advantage, and Liddane later knocked down a triple to extend the lead to 14-0.

Consecutive jumpers by Hockenberry and freshman forward Alex Hallenbeck (St. Johns, Mich.) made it 18-0, and freshman guard Rachael Torey (Sterling Heights, Mich.) finished an uncontested layup that gave the Panthers their 20-0 lead at the 10:44 mark.

Hillsdale managed to trim the Panther lead to 32-21 with just over two minutes left, but junior forward Katelyn Stuckey (Millersburg, Ohio) and Hockenberry both made layups to close the half and send ODU into the locker room with a 36-21 advantage.

The Panthers hit eight of their first 10 shots to start the game and would shoot 60.9 percent (14-of-23) in the opening half. ODU held a commanding 22-6 advantage in points in the paint as Hillsdale shot just 18.2 percent (6-of-33) in the frame.

The Chargers came out strong in the second half, though, cutting ODU's lead to just five, 43-38, with 12:33 to play. ODU answered as Liddane found junior guard Mykeila Mast (Millersburg, Ohio) and freshman forward Melissa Scherpenberg (Cincinnati, Ohio) for consecutive buckets to put the Panthers back in front 49-40 with 9:43 left.

Hillsdale surged back, though, as ODU could muster just four free throws in the next four-plus minutes. The Chargers outscored ODU 12-4 in that stretch and drew within a point, 53-52, with 5:29 to play.

Hallenbeck responded with a layup, then followed a missed shot with a putback to help push the lead to 57-52. After a Charger free throw, Liddane knocked down a short runner in the lane, and Torey split two Hillsdale defenders with a bounce pass to find Hallenbeck streaking down the left side of the floor, and Hallenbeck's layup stretched the lead to 61-53 with 2:57 left.

The Chargers came back with six of the game's next eight points, though, hitting a pair of free throws to cut the ODU advantage to 63-59 with 37.6 ticks left. Liddane was fouled on the inbounds pass and hit a pair of free throws, and Hallenbeck blocked a Charger three-point attempt, grabbed the rebound and hit two free throws with 23 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

Hockenberry led ODU with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting while also tallying four assists. Hallenbeck set a new season-high with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and had her third straight double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Torey also scored in double figures with 11 points.

Liddane neared a season-high with her nine points while handing out five assists, and Scherpenberg came off the bench to grab 13 rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. Stuckey finished with eight points and five rebounds as well.

ODU shot a season-high 51.0 percent (25-of-49) and the 67 points were the most the Panthers have scored in a win. The Panthers' 14 assists were one shy of a season-best as well.

Ohio Dominican begins a five-game roadtrip with a 7:30 p.m. tip at Walsh on Thursday.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu