The Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship rematch lived up to expectations. This time around, however, the John Carroll University Women's Basketball team came up short to start 2020. Late second and fourth quarter runs by Ohio Northern froze the Blue Streaks 62-55, who dropped their first loss in OAC play this season. ONU snapped a seven-game regular-season win streak and an 11-game win streak in conference play for JCU.
 
The Blue Streaks were down by seven points heading into the final quarter. However, scoring efforts by junior Dani Carlson, junior Nicole Heffington, and sophomore Olivia Nagy, as well as holding the Polar Bears to two points in the first five and a half minutes of the final stanza, JCU erased its deficit and took a lead for the first time in 19 minutes.
 
Despite John Carroll's efforts, Ohio Northern responded by closing out the game on an 11-4 run, fueled by back-to-back three pointers from Brynn Serbin.
 
To start the game, John Carroll opened the scoring with a three-point basket by junior Abby Adler. JCU would go on to edge out the Polar Bears 18-15 in the first. The Blue and Gold even led by as many as 11 at the 5:44 mark in the second.
 
Then, the Polar Bears broke the ice with an incredible 17-0 scoring run and went into the locker room with a 34-31 advantage. The Blue Streaks turned the ball over six times in the final five minutes before the break. For the first time in OAC play and just the second time all season, the Blue Streaks were down at half.
 
In the third quarter, JCU scored a game-low 11 points en route to an ONU 49-42 lead after three. This then set up for the late game dramatics in Ada. 
 
Carlson scored a career high 23 points, including 15 points in the first half. Her 23 points led all scorers. Carlson also added six rebounds.
 
The Polar Bears strategic game plan to defend Olivia Nagy was successful — especially in the first half. ONU held Nagy to just two points in the opening half. She finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
 
JCU returns to action this Wednesday from the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center against the Otterbein Cardinals. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.