John Carroll JCU 24-3,11-3 NCAC

Ohio Wesleyan OWU 20-5,11-3 NCAC

John Carroll JCU

24-3,11-3 NCAC

Final

Feb. 26, 2026

Ohio Wesleyan OWU

20-5,11-3 NCAC

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
John Carroll JCU	9	19	15	18	61
Ohio Wesleyan OWU	11	8	14	16	49

Summary
Box Score

Peter Wangechi

Graci Semptimphelter

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | 2/26/2026 10:10:00 PM | Joe Ginley '16, SID

Defense Keys Win for #10 Women's Basketball over #13 OWU in NCAC Semifinal

The Blue Streaks are enjoying one of the best defensive stretches in program history

GRANVILLE – The tired trope of "defense wins championships" is used far too often in recaps like these.

But if you're a Blue Streak fan, you just can't help but talk about it. John Carroll Women's Basketball absolutely locked down Ohio Wesleyan University in the season grudge match of new North Coast Athletic Conference rivals in the tournament semifinal, 61-49.

And thanks to strong shooting when it mattered, the Blue Streaks are headed to the NCAC Tournament Championship on Saturday vs. DePauw University at 3 pm.

In tonight's victory at Denison University's Livingston Gym, JCU held Ohio Wesleyan to just 49 points, marking a fourth straight game limiting an opponent to under 50 points. That's the best defensive stretch for the Blue Streaks since way back in the 1977-78 season, when JCU held four straight foes to under 50 points en route to four February wins.

John Carroll will head to the NCAC title bout in the first year as members of the conference. JCU last appeared in a championship game in 2022 and last won a conference tournament crown in 2021, both under Head Coach Beth Andrews '15. JCU will make its sixth conference title appearance overall as a program.

The Battling Bishops burst out to a 6-0 lead in the opening two minutes before John Carroll settled into the game with a Graci Semptimphelter layup at 6:37. A Brooke Laub triple and Semptimphelter driving layup got the lead back, 7-6, with 3:20 to go. OWU awoke the offense with a 3-pointer and snuck ahead, 11-9, heading into the second.

The Battling Bishops pushed the margin to five points before Ava Ryncarz came alive, scoring five straight points. Semptimphelter matched her star senior teammate with five consecutive points of her own. The 10-point JCU run shot ahead the visitors, 23-17, at the 4:32 mark of the second stanza.

In the late stages of the half, while OWU found success rebounding, Carly Perusek made the most out of her chances. The veteran converted on a pair of driving layups. Perusek's persistence in the post ensured the Blue Streaks headed into the half with a comfy 28-19.

A Semptimphelter 3-pointer opened the quarter for JCU, though OWU responded with six straight points. The guard play started to become a factor as the quarter continued, as a nice pass here and a layup there by Nicci Finazzo and Brooke Laub kept the Battling Bishops honest. The space allowed Perusek to be that much more effective.

A late Finazzo driving layup set the margin at 10 points, 43-33, heading into the final quarter.

A Semptimphelter triple and a Finazzo layup kept OWU out of arm's reach early in the quarter. Perusek's play in the paint continued to have an important impact, counteracting Macy Miller, OWU's star and one of the best players in the conference. Miller finished with just 6 points.

But Ohio Wesleyan was not done, mounting a furious comeback. Over a two-minute stretch, the Battling Bishops put together a 9-0 run. Turnovers on back-to-back possessions aided OWU, slimming the deficit to just one possession, 52-49, with 2:49 to play. Coach Andrews smartly called a timeout to reset.

Coming out of the respite, John Carroll refocused. Perusek fought for an important layup, drawing a foul. Semptimphelter soon sank a stepback shot from downtown off a Perusek screen, and suddenly the scoreboard read, 57-49.

The Battling Bishops never recovered. Laub and Semptimphelter converted on two free throws apiece to ice the game.

Fantastic half-court play on offense in key spots characterized the win. While JCU shot just 6-of-27 from 3-point range, the Blue Streaks hit clutch buckets late in the shot clock on a number of possessions. The demoralizing effect of JCU's makes late in possessions eventually wore down the Battling Bishops.

Importantly, John Carroll dealt with Ohio Wesleyan's size effectively. JCU only lost the rebounding margin by two, 42-40. And JCU made the most of offensive boards, notching 13 second chance points.

OWU transfer Graci Semptimphelter keyed the Blue Streaks' offense all night long. The senior topped all scorers with 26 points, including on 4-of-11 shooting from 3-point range. She added 9 rebounds in an all-around excellent effort. Perusek also notched 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ava Ryncarz topped JCU with 3 steals.

Next Up
The Blue Streaks (now 24-3 on the year) will face #3 seed DePauw (18-9), as the Tigers upset the top seed and D3hoops.com #6 Denison in impressive fashion in the first game of the night, 75-59. JCU swept the season series, narrowly winning in Indiana on January 3, 83-78, and roaring for a 59-50 victory in University Heights on January 31, 59-50. The Tigers lead the series, 3-2. All-time, JCU has a 2-3 record in conference title games.

Print Friendly Version