Box Score Showdowns generally produce a winner, and tonight at the DeCarlo Varsity Center, John Carroll was not the victor in its duel with crosstown rival Baldwin Wallace.

But certainly all was not lost.

The Blue Streaks entered the arena with a one game lead, and left it in a first place tie following a 78-71 loss. Baldwin Wallace earns a series sweep, but John Carroll still controls its destiny as far as a league title is concerned

The 20th game of the season for John Carroll had the smell of revenge in the air. On Jan. 15, the now 19th nationally ranked JCU women's basketball team had an 11-game win streak -- the best start in school history --before they traveled to Berea to face these same Yellow Jackets. The first of two meetings with Baldwin Wallace University ended with a 97-85 win, ending the Blue Streaks' historic run.

When the Yellow Jackets traveled to University Heights, the same intensity was in the air from the first meeting. With a packed student section in full throat, the battle for first place began with the two teams trading baskets early on.

Midway through the half, the Blue and Gold led 16-13, but fouls and turnovers began to mount on the JCU side, and the Yellow Jackets surged to a 31-22 lead in the closing minutes of the opening period.

But before the teams entered the locker room, John Carroll junior Emily Taylor scored six of her first half 10 points with back-to-back three-pointers. That enabled the home squad to leave the floor trailing by three instead of nine as Baldwin Wallace took a 31-28 advantage into the locker room.. 

For the 12 Yellow Jackets that saw the floor, 10 found the bottom of the basket. Leading first half scorer for Baldwin Wallace was forward Lexi Rochrbach with six. Taylor was the game's leading scorer with 10.

The momentum stayed on the home side for the early part of the second half. John Carroll pulled ahead by as many as four points on three occasions -- the last of which was following a pair of free throws by Missy Spahar inside the 12-minute mark.

But the Blue Streaks could never fully seize the momentum to carry it forward

"We did a good job of attacking the basket," said JCU head coach Kelly Morrone, "We just didn't get the roll we needed."

While Baldwin Wallace methodically pulled away, John Carroll went ice cold. Between the 8:40 mark and the 2:48 mark, the Blue Streaks connected on just one shot from the field as the Yellow Jackets grew a 57-55 advantage into a 67-57 lead. JCU could not get closer than seven points down the stretch.

The size of Baldwin Wallace was too much for the much smaller Blue Streaks. JCU lost the rebounding battle 44 to 38, where Baldwin Wallace had three players with at least seven rebounds, led by Jessica Lairson with ten..

To go along with rebounding issues, shooting woes and foul trouble plagued the home Blue and Gold. Starters Taylor and Daniella Rice fouled out, and two others finished with four. The Blue and Gold shot a season low 38.8-percent from the floor.

Missy Spahar chipped in with a game high 25 points to go with 12 rebounds. as JCU fell to 17-3, and 12-3 (T-1st).

Morrone was proud of the team saying "they played hard through the end.".

"There is never time to think about a game, win or lose, because there is always another one right around the corner," added Morrone.

Baldwin Wallace, now 17-5 and 12-3 in league play, was paced by 16 points by Lexi Rohrbach and 15 from Shari Mangas.

JCU and Baldwin Walace are tied atop the OAC at 12-3, one game ahead of Capital which is 11-4.