The Capital University women's basketball team defeated Baldwin Wallace 83-77 in an Ohio Athletic Conference semifinal game. Senior forward Jamie Caton led the Crusaders with 27 points and helped them advance to the OAC Tournament championship against Ohio Northern on Saturday. The game was close throughout with multiple lead changes. In overtime, the Crusaders outscored the Yellow Jackets to secure the victory and a spot in the championship game.

1. Crusaders Advance to OAC Tournament Championship
Jeremy Morgan, Assistant Sports Information Director
Senior forward Jamie Caton helped carry the load offensively for the
Crusaders in the OAC Tournament semifinals. (Jeff Mills photo).
BEREA, Ohio – A thrilling victory for the Capital University women’s basketball team over Baldwin
Wallace in an Ohio Athletic Conference semifinal game, as the Crusaders topped the Yellow Jackets 83-77.
Capital (18-8 overall) now advances to the OAC Tournament championship at Ohio Northern on Saturday
at 3 p.m.
The Crusaders jumped out to a 12-2 lead through the first seven and a half minutes of play, as a trio of
baskets by senior forward Jamie Caton (Hilliard, Ohio) and a pair of baskets by guard Cookie Geroski
(Fostoria, Ohio) served as the bulk of Capital’s points early in the contest.
However, the Yellow Jackets responded with a run of their own, manufacturing a 14-4 run, narrowing
their deficit to four points with 10:22 remaining in the opening half.
Following a timeout, Caton converted on two free throws, while freshman guard Lauren Stefancin
followed with a connection from behind the arc, extending the Crusaders lead to 21-12 with 7:22 left in the
first period.
The Yellow Jackets once again managed to put together a chunk of points in short order, putting together
a 15-5 run and taking their first lead of the game at the 3:02 mark in the first half.
Junior guard Shelby Sheets (Fayetteville, Ohio) then converted on a layup underneath the basket with just
over two minutes remaining before halftime, before Baldwin Wallace tallied a layup of their own in the
paint with 18 seconds left on the clock, taking a 29-28 lead at the half.
At the break, the Crusaders were shooting 39.3 percent (11-28) from the field, while holding the Yellow
Jackets to a 35.5 percent (11-31) shooting mark in the opening half.
As the second half of play began, Geroski inked the scoreboard first for the Crusaders, much like she did
with the opening points of the contest, giving Capital back the lead at 30-29.

2. Caton continued her aggressive play on offense, scoring the Crusaders next eight points, including back-
to-back drives past her defender to the basket, helping Capital regain its lead at 38-37 at the 16:11 mark in
the second half.
Multiple foul calls in the final half proved to be a factor, as the Crusaders reached the bonus at the 15:05
mark of the second half. Capital eventually entered the double bonus with 9:28 remaining in regulation.
Sophomore guard Jenna Erwin (Springfield, Ohio) managed to tie the game at 47 apiece with 9:28
remaining in the game, as she connected on a pair of free throws following an over the back foul call on
the Yellow Jackets. Classmate in guard Simonne Gage (Dayton, Ohio) then followed with a layup in the
lane on an out of bounds play, cutting the Crusaders deficit to one point with 8:57 left to play.
A jump shot in the paint by Thompson, followed by a steal and fast break layup by Caton, led to the
Crusaders taking a 53-50 lead at the 7:21 mark.
Capital then extended its lead to 64-57 with 4:50 left in the game, only for the Yellow Jackets to creep
back into the game in the final minutes.
Following a charge drawn by Geroski on the Yellow Jackets, Baldwin Wallace took the lead back the lead
at 69-68 with 46 seconds left on the clock, until Caton responded on the other end with a layup, giving
Capital the lead at 69-68 with under 20 seconds remaining.
Another charge call on the Yellow Jackets prompted the foul game beginning for Baldwin Wallace, as
Gage was sent to the line for the Crusaders, connecting on 1-2 shots from the foul line. Caton again came
up in the clutch with a block on the defensive end, momentarily stalling the Yellow Jackets offense.
Baldwin Wallace then setup an inbounds play on the far sideline, getting the ball in play and hoisting a
desperation three-point shot up at the buzzer as the ball banked in, tying the game at 72 apiece and
sending the game into overtime.
As the overtime period unfolded, the Crusaders managed to keep up their defensive pressure, causing
multiple turnovers on the Yellow Jackets, accompanied with a clutch layup underneath the hoop by Caton
from Gage with 30 second remaining.
A trio of layups by Gage, Geroski and Caton fueled the Crusaders back into a three-point lead, while a
defensive stop by Capital earned them a trip to the foul line where Geroski connected on 1-2 shots from
the line.
Napolitano then converted on both of her foul shots with four seconds remaining in overtime, sealing an
83-77 victory for the Crusaders.
Leading the way for the Crusaders was Caton, scoring a game-high 27 points on 9-20 shooting, including
four assists and three rebounds.
Geroski followed with 16 points on 7-15 shooting, including five rebounds, pulling to within five points of
the 1,000-point plateau for her Capital career.
Thompson fouled out late in the second half, but recorded 14 points on an impressive 5-7 shooting from
the floor and 4-5 mark from the foul line.
Gage and freshman guard Nina Napolitano (Akron, Ohio) each chipped in seven points on the night.

3. As a team, the Crusaders shot 47.5 percent (29-61) from the field, including 61.5 percent (24-39) from the
foul line, while holding the Yellow Jackets to a 37.3 percent (25-67) mark from the field.
The victory was Capital’s third victory over Baldwin Wallace this season, as the Crusaders proved
victorious in their second overtime victory in the past three games.