Women's Basketball defeats ONU to earn head coach Erin Eaton her first OAC victory

The Muskingum women's basketball team defeated the Ohio Northern Polar Bears on Saturday, 58-55. With this win, the Muskies earned head coach Erin Eaton her first Ohio Athletic Conference victory. 

The Basics

• Records: Muskingum (3-8 overall, 1-5 OAC), Ohio Northern (9-3 overall, 3-2 OAC)
• Location: New Concord, Ohio – Anne C. Steele Center
• Attendance: 350

Notables

• The victory marked the first Ohio Athletic Conference win for head coach Erin Eaton. 
• Muskingum claimed their first triumph over Ohio Northern since the 2010-11 season. That year, the Muskies beat the Polar Bears in the Anne C. Steele Center on Saturday, January 22, 52-50.
• The win was the first Ohio Athletic Conference victory for the Muskies since their 2017-18 season. That year the Muskies defeated Heidelberg on Saturday, February 17 at Heidelberg, 81-53.
• The Muskies had four players that recorded double-digit points.

Inside the Numbers

• Muskingum ended the contest shooting 21-of-51 (41.2%) from the field, which included hitting 10-of-25 (40.0%) from behind the arc.
• Junior Camay Baylock, junior Sam Filiaggi, and sophomore Olivia Lang directed the Muskies with 11 points each. 
• Baylock also chipped in five rebounds and tallied two assists. 
• Lang ended the game shooting 4-of-8 (50.0%) from the field, which included hitting 3-of-5 (60.0%) from behind the arc. 
• Filiaggi led the Muskies with a team-best three assists. 
• Freshman Casey Smith chipped in 10 points and ended the game shooting 5-of-9 (55.5%) from the field.
• Freshman Michelle Skaggs tallied a career-best eight points. 
• Freshman Emily Hartshorn grabbed a team-high six boards.
• Ohio Northern ended the contest shooting 23-of-63 (36.5%) in the field and 4-of-9 (44.4%) from the free-throw line.
• Abby Weeks guided the Polar Bears with 16 points and ended the game shooting 7-of-15 (46.7%) from the field. 
• Lexi Jacobs chipped in nine points, while Sydney Ward registered eight points. 
• Weeks also recorded four steals, registered seven rebounds, and notched two assists. 
• Muskingum dominated on fast break points with a total of 11, while the Polar Bears only had four. 

Game Highlights

In the fourth quarter, with the score tied 55-55 and less than a minute remaining in play, Lang drilled a long ball to lock in the thrilling 58-55 victory for the Muskies. Muskingum ended the game with a 9-1 surge over the final 3:52 minutes to erase a 54-49 deficit. 

In the first quarter, the contest remained tight with neither team claiming more than a four-point lead early on. With 3:25 on the clock, Lang collected a three-pointer to ignite an 11-5 run for the Muskies. With this run, the Muskies slid past the Polar Bears with a score of 21-14 going into the second quarter. Ohio Northern went on to outscore the Muskies in the second (16-15) and third (12-8) quarters. Despite their effort, Muskingum managed to maintain a 44-42 lead going into the fourth quarter. 

Up Next

• The Muskies next travel to Alliance to battle The University of Mount Union Purple Raiders on Wednesday, January 15. The start time is slated for 7:00 p.m.