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John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Ava Ryncarz vs. ONU at home
Ben Peskar
Ava Ryncarz registered a season-high 19 points, as she sank four shots from deep.
58
John Carroll JCU 11-11,6-9 OAC
68
Winner Ohio Northern ONU 20-3,14-2 OAC
John Carroll JCU
11-11,6-9 OAC
58
Final
68
Ohio Northern ONU
20-3,14-2 OAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
John Carroll JCU 12 18 13 15 58
Ohio Northern ONU 16 10 9 33 68

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | JCUSID

Women's Basketball Falters Late at #10 Ohio Northern

ADA, Ohio -- For 30 minutes, John Carroll Women's Basketball played nearly flawless defense.

Alas, the sleeping giant awoke in the final 10 minutes on Saturday, and an upset was spoiled.

The #10 Ohio Northern Polar Bears roared for a huge fourth-quarter and remained atop the Ohio Athletic Conference with a 68-58 win.

The first minutes at the ONU Sports Center might have led you to believe that the Polar Bears would run away with it early. The opening 6 minutes and 30 seconds of the game showcased a strong ONU squad motivated on Senior Day. The Polar Bears roared for a 13-2 lead in the early going before John Carroll settled in. The Blue Streaks responded with a 10-3 run to end the first quarter, and the first whiffs of a brewing upset were smelled. 

Ohio Northern's 16-12 lead stood for the first couple minutes of the second quarter, but a Halle Landies 3-pointer stirred the pot, and a Kaelyn Underwood jumper less than a minute later granted John Carroll its first lead of the day. And for the next 20 minutes, the Blue Streaks led the ballgame.

Ava Ryncarz is a major reason why the Blue Streaks controlled the remainder of the second quarter. The freshman buried a trio of 3-pointers, hitting more shots than Ohio Northern did as a team in the second quarter (ONU shot 2-of-9 from the field in the second). The Polar Bears sank a pair of late free throws, but the Blue & Gold stood ahead at halftime, 30-26.  

Despite being on upset alert, the Polar Bears could not find a rhythm up in the third quarter. JCU's defense limited ONU to 4-of-12 shooting in the third quarter, all the while JCU's offense did enough to stay on top. Ryncarz and Carmen Heuker hit deep shots. John Carroll held a 43-35 advantage after three. 

But the Polar Bears caught fire in the fourth quarter, showcasing the talent of the #10 team in the country. Despite JCU's best efforts on defense, the Polar Bears shot a remarkable 10-of-13, including 3-of-4 from deep, to bury any shot of a road upset for JCU. When the dust settled, the Polar Bears had scored a whopping 33 points in the fourth quarter, almost more than they had scored in the previous 30 minutes.

The Blue Streaks limited ONU's Bryn Serbin, the second-leading scorer in the conference, to just 6 points. But the Polar Bears' 34-16 advantage in the paint, plus a 45-29 rebounding margin, sealed the deal.

But that's not to say the Blue Streaks didn't do a commendable job in other areas. John Carroll buried eight 3-pointers, their third time doing so this season. John Carroll tabbed 10 steals and sank 10-of-12 attempts from the charity stripe, too. 

Ava Ryncarz finished with a season-high 19 points, as she's been red-hot as of late, scoring in double digits for the fifth time in six games. Halle Landies finished with 16 points, her 10th time reaching double figures this year. Carmen Heuker tallied 5 assists, hitting that mark for the third time this season.

The Blue Streaks have a quick turnaround, as JCU will host Heidelberg on Monday, a makeup game from a COVID-19 postponement. 
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