Winning on the road in the Ohio Athletic Conference is never easy.
 
The John Carroll University women's basketball team dropped a back-and-forth affair at Capital 87-79 on Saturday afternoon in Bexley, Ohio.
 
Senior Emily Taylor led the Blue Streaks with a career-high 21 points. Sophomore Katlyn Spahar added her first career double-double with 20 points and a career-best 12 rebounds.
 
The first half featured eight lead changes and eight ties.
 
The Crusaders scored the game's first five points before the Blue Streaks tied the score at five on Taylor's 3-pointer with 17:12 left in the opening stanza.
 
John Carroll would take its first lead with 16:16 remaining in the half. Taylor continued her hot start with a pair of free throws that were part of a 7-0 JCU run giving the Blue Streaks the 12-8 advantage.
 
The Blue and Gold would remain in front until Capital went on a 7-0 run to take a 3-point lead on a trifecta from Shelby Sheets with 11:42 remaining in the opening stanza.
 
Taylor would cap an 8-0 run sending the lead back to John Carroll with the Blue Streaks leading 26-21 with 8:34 left in the half. JCU would hold the lead until 2:19 remained in the half.
 
The back-and-forth tilt continued in the second half with four lead changes and three ties.
 
Taylor handed the lead back to John Carroll on her 3-pointer with 18:30 remaining in the game. She would connect again from deep to push the lead to six at 15:57. Beth Switzler extended the Blue and Gold's lead to eight at 49-41 with 15:21, the largest lead of the game for John Carroll.
 
An ensuing 11-1 run from the Crusaders shifted the lead back to Capital at 52-50 with 13:38 remaining.
 
Sarah Cairnie capped a 6-0 run pushing JCU back on top just under halfway through the second half. JCU would remain on top until a 10-0 run from Capital gave the Crusaders a 74-68 lead with 3:19 remaining.
 
Capital improved to 12-9, 8-6 OAC while John Carroll fell to 18-3, 11-3 OAC.
 
John Carroll returns home to host Baldwin Wallace at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 11.