MARQUETTE, Mich. – Ohio Dominican's women's basketball team had first-place Northern Michigan on the ropes, but the Wildcats rallied to defeat ODU 61-59 in GLIAC action Saturday from the Berry Events Center.

ODU had a 57-54 lead with 3:42 left, but a Wildcat three-pointer with 1:25 left gave the home team a lead it would not relinquish as ODU's desperation three-pointer at the buzzer was a bit strong.

Sophomore forward Melissa Scherpenberg (Cincinnati, Ohio) had 19 points and nine rebounds, setting a career-high by draining a trio of three-pointers. Junior guard Kacee Hockenberry (Haviland, Ohio) had 10 points, while sophomore forward Alex Hallenbeck (St. Johns, Mich.) added six points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

With the setback, ODU fell to 4-6 (1-5 GLIAC), while the Wildcats improved to 9-1 (6-0 GLIAC).

ODU limited the GLIAC's top scoring team to those 61 points – the second-fewest it has scored this season – on just 28.1 percent shooting (16-of-57). The Panthers, meanwhile, shot 21-of-58 (36.2 percent) from the field.

The Panthers fell behind 17-10 before freshman guard Tori Beth Leader (West Portsmouth, Ohio) drilled a three from the left wing, then stuck a deep two-point jumper from the same side to bring ODU to within 17-15 with 9:57 to play in the half.

A Hockenberry layup in transition knotted it a minute later, but NMU responded to grab a 27-22 advantage with just over 4:30 left to play.

The Panthers answered, though, by scoring the final six points of the half, with freshman guard Lauren Bates (Hilliard, Ohio) and Hallenbeck scoring to make it a one-point deficit before Leader beat the halftime buzzer with a layup to send the Panthers into the locker room with a 28-27 lead.

Scherpenberg scored moments into the second half, then knocked down a triple and two free throws to put ODU on top 35-31 three minutes into play in the second half.

NMU rallied to grab a 45-41 lead, but Scherpenberg drilled a three from the top of the key with nine minutes left, and Bates hit a pair of free throws to keep ODU within a point at 47-46.

Scherpenberg then knocked down a triple from the left corner and sank a short baseline jumper to put the Panthers in front 51-49 with 6:49 remaining.

Northern would regain a 53-51 advantage, but two Scherpenberg layups, a steal and fastbreak layup by Hockenberry, and another layin high off the glass by Hockenberry put the Panthers on top 57-54 with 3:42 to play.

ODU had a chance to extend its lead but turned the ball over, and NMU sank two free throws with 3:07 left to draw within one. Both teams were scoreless for the next minute and a half before a three-pointer by the Wildcats put the home team in front by two, and they hit two more free throws to go in front 61-57 with 26 seconds left.

Hallenbeck followed up a missed shot with a putback layup to bring the Panthers back within two with 13 seconds left, and the Wildcats missed two free throws on the other end.

But Leader's three-pointer just before the buzzer was a bit strong as the Wildcats escaped with the victory.

Scherpenberg scored 17 of her 19 points after the break. She had never made more than one three-pointer in a game entering the game and had just five makes from beyond the arc in her career, all last season.

Ohio Dominican returns home for a four-game homestand, starting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday against Lake Superior.

Contact: Scott Miles
miless@ohiodominican.edu