In a game that saw several lineup changes and constant adjustments, the Muskingum University Womens Basketball team came away with a 68-60 win over OAC rival Heidelberg Saturday.
The win was the first in conference play for the Muskies in the 2015 season.
Head Coach Beth Fox changed things up with the starting lineup for the game, giving Leigha Moran her second consecutive start in place of Jasmine Goings, as well as elevating Caitlyn Smith to a starting role over second leading scorer Olivia Besancon.
The Muskies fought hard in the first half, but didn’t shoot well from the field, going down 32-23 at the halftime break. The ladies shot just 27% from the field in the half, as well as making only three of 12 three-point attempts.
The Muskies flipped the script in the second half, using better shooting and a concerted defensive effort to get back in the game and take the lead in the fourth quarter. The Muskies made seven threes in the second half, including two from Mallory Taylor, on their way to building a 12 point lead with 2:06 left in the game.
The Student Princes tried to battle back, but couldn’t crack the Muskie defense late, only getting it down to an eight point Muskie lead near the finish.
Alex Carson led the Muskies offensively with 19 points, but also added five steals on the defensive end. Taylor chipped in with 18 in the contest to aid the effort.
The win puts the Muskies at 5-15 overall on the season and 1-12 in the OAC. The ladies will be back in action on Feb. 10 for the first of three straight road games when they travel to Capital.
