Women's Basketball Heads South this Week
The University of Findlay women's basketball team will travel south for their next two games, taking on St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Fla. on Dec. 18 before heading to Nassau, Bahamas for a game against Young Harris University on Dec. 21.
Sights and Sounds
All Oilers basketball games can be heard on 88.3 FM "WLFC" or on the internet via their web site.
You can listen to the broadcast by clicking on the following link:
The University of Findlay will also broadcast all of their home basketball games on the internet. You can watch the games live by clicking on the following link:
UF athletics will also offer live stats for all home games. A link to this process can be retrieved by clicking on the live stats window located on the left side of the Oilers athletic website.
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Series Information
The Oilers will be playing these two schools for the first time in school history.
Findlay
The Oilers suffered a tough loss to Northern Michigan University on Dec. 14 in Croy Gymnasium, losing 71-66 to the Wildcats.
The Oilers were up 35-31 at the break and increased their lead to 12 points when they opened the second period on an 8-0 run. The Oilers were unable to keep their distance from the Wildcats however as NMU went on a 23-10 spurt to take a 54-53 lead with just over ten minutes to play.
After trading baskets for the next nine minutes, the Oilers found themselves down 67-64 with only a minute remaining in the game. Sophomore forward Margaret Wuebker then converted a jumper in the lane and was fouled, but she missed the free throw to make the score 67-66 in favor of the Wildcats.
NMU sunk a pair of free throws on the ensuing possession and freshman guard Karli Bonar missed a three point attempt, which would have tied the game. The Wildcats then added two more free throws down the stretch for the final points of the contest.
The Oilers shot 41 percent (25-of-61) from the floor and canned 10-of-24 (41.7%) shot attempts from behind the three point line in the game. Northern Michigan meanwhile made 44.4 percent (24-of-54) of their field goal attempts and swished 10-of-23 (43.5%) three point tries.
Wuebker led the way with a career-high 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting. She also grabbed seven boards and blocked two shots in the game.
Bonar recorded nine points while senior guard Karli Beasley had five points, five assists and five rebounds.
Findlay Links
For information on the Oilers men's basketball team, please click on the links below:
St. Thomas
The Bobcats are 3-5 on the season and have been led by Cleyder Blanco, who is averaging 19.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
Jessika Montalvo is second on the team with a 14.4 points per game average.
St. Thomas Links
Young Harris
The Mountain Lions are 4-2 on the season and have been led by Ladondra Johnson, who is averaging 17.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
Peyton Robertson is also averaging in double figures, scoring 10.0 points per contest.
Young Harris Links
Grand Theft
The Oilers are averaging 12.2 steals per game this season, the second best mark in the GLIAC and the seventh highest total in the nation. They also are ranked second in the league by forcing their opponent into 21.2 turnovers per contest.
Individually, senior guard Karli Beasley, senior guard Ashley Andrews and junior forward Lacey Kessler are averaging 2.0 steals per game. The total ranks sixth in the GLIAC.
The Oilers success with taking the ball away has them ranked first in the GLIAC and tenth in the nation in turnover margin at +8.0.
Efficient Scoring
Junior forward Lacey Kessler is making the most of her playing time this season and is averaging 13.2 points per game in only 16.0 minutes per contest.
Lighting Up the Scoreboard
Findlay is averaging 77.2 points per game on the year, the fifth best total in the GLIAC.
Making Shots
The Oilers are shooting 43.4 percent from the field this season, the fifth best mark in the GLIAC.
Individually, junior forward Lacey Kessler leads the team with a 56.2 percent shooting clip. The percentage ranks seventh in the GLIAC so far.
Freebies
Junior forward Lacey Kessler has been doing a lot of damage from the free throw line this season, making 5.2 shot attempts from the charity stripe per game. Her total makes per contest is the fourth highest total in the GLIAC. Kessler is also shooting 86.7 percent from the line this year, the 11th best mark in the league.
As a team, the Oilers are canning 78.9 percent of their shots from the charity stripe, the second best mark in the GLIAC. The percentage of makes at the free throw line is also the seventh highest mark in all of NCAA DII basketball.
Swatting Shots
Sophomore forward Kelsey Lewis ranks seventh in the league in blocked shots per game, swatting an average of 1.2 per contest.
Passing the Rock
The Oilers are ranked third in the conference in assists per game with 16.0 per contest. Junior guard Kristin Klausing leads the squad and is averaging 2.8 assists per game.
Raining 3's
The Oilers are shooting 37.4 percent from behind the three point line this season, the third best shooting clip in the GLIAC. They are also connecting on 8.7 three pointers per game, which is the highest mark in the conference.
Freshman guard Karli Bonar is connecting on 2.7 triple tries per game this year, which ranks second in the GLIAC. Her 43.2 percent shooting clip from long range is the tenth highest mark in the conference.
Bonar set Ohio state records for most three pointers made in a season (110) and most made triples in a career (350) during her time at Shadyside High School.
In the Oilers 87-54 win over Northwestern Ohio on Nov. 30, the Oilers canned a season-high 15 three pointers and attempted a school record 42 triple tries.
Getting Buckets
Junior guard Ciara Geiger has proven she has the ability to fill up the basket. Geiger is in her first season with the Oilers after transferring from Urbana University, where she scored 995 points in her first two collegiate seasons. The Ft. Wayne, Ind. native has now racked up 1,032 career points in her collegiate career.
Reaching the 90-Point Plateau
The Oilers have scored 90 or more points 64 times since the 1978-79 season and sport a 63-1 (.984) record in those games. Their only loss came at the hands of Wilmington, who defeated the Oilers by a score of 110-98 in 1985.
GLIAC Tournament
The Oilers have appeared in the GLIAC Tournament five times in their history. They sport a 3-5 record in tournament play.
Winning GLIAC South Division Titles
The Oilers have won two out the last four GLIAC South Division titles (2009-10, 2010-11) and as a program, have captured championships in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2010 and 2011.
Preseason GLIAC Poll
The Oilers were picked to finish second in the South Division of the GLIAC this season according to the annual preseason poll, which was released on Nov. 7.
The Oilers received a total of 177 votes and ten first place votes in the poll. They fell one vote shy of the top spot in the division, which is held by Ashland University with 178 votes. The Eagles also received 13 first place votes and are the defending NCAA Division II National Champions.
Findlay finished the 2012-13 campaign with a 24-6 record. They were ranked 20th in the nation in the final poll and reached the NCAA Division II National Tournament for only the second time in school history.
Preseason All-GLIAC
Junior guard Ciara Geiger, a transfer from Urbana University, and sophomore forward Margaret Wuebker each were honored on the preseason all-conference squads. Geiger was voted first team all-conference while Wuebker earned a spot on the second team.
Geiger earned all-region honors last year for the Blue Knights after averaging 18.4 points per game. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year racked up a total of 995 points during her two years with Urbana and will be counted on to provide offensive firepower for the Oilers this season.
Wuebker made 26 starts for the Oilers last season as a true freshman, averaging 5.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Helpful Links
For more information on the GLIAC, please click on the following link:
For more information on NCAA Division II men's basketball, please click on the following links: