Oilers Fall 76-72 to #3 Durry in 1st Round
The University of Findlay women's basketball team gave third-ranked Drury University all they could handle on March 9 during the first round of the NCAA Division II Tournament in Ashland, Ohio before falling 76-72.
The Oilers fell behind by a score of 28-20 in the opening period before out-scoring the Panthers 14-9 in the second to climb to within three at 37-34 when the first half buzzer sounded. The Oilers then stayed within striking distance during the second half and trailed by two points at 71-69 with just over two minutes to play in the game.
After a few failed possessions by both teams, Drury made 1-of-2 attempts from the free throw line to make the score 72-69 with 21 ticks remaining. The Oilers then regained possession, with a chance to cut into the lead or tie it, but they turned the ball over. Drury then a pair of free throws before senior guard Lynsey Englebrecht canned a long three pointer to make the score 74-72 in favor of the Panthers with nine seconds remaining.
Needing to get the ball back, Findlay fouled, but Drury made their free throws to seal the win.
The Oilers shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the floor while the Panthers converted 40.6 percent (28-of-69) of their field goal attempts. The Panthers also had a big game on the offensive glass, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds while holding a 22-2 advantage in second chance points.
Junior guard Elissa Ellerbrock led the Oilers with 16 points and five rebounds while senior guard Haley Horstman had 15 points and four boards.
Junior forward Anna Hintz recorded 14 points and six rebounds while Englebrecht also reached double figures with 14 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists.
The Oilers end their season with a 22-8 record.
