Oilers Bow Out in G-MAC Semifinals | Kin Sets Single-Season Scoring Record
Cedarville, Ohio – The University of Findlay women's basketball team saw their 2021 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Tournament run come to an end on Friday, March 5 with a 77-57 loss at the hands of the second-seeded Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. The loss ends the Oilers season with a 12-11 record, their fifth winning season in six years, while the Panthers, at 18-4, will head back to the G-MAC Championship game for the second consecutive season.
Findlay jumped out to a 2-0 lead, scoring the first bucket of the game, but the Panthers answered with a three-pointer, the first of many on the night, to take the lead at 3-2. Just 30 seconds later, junior Amber Schweiger, coming off a 20-point outing in the tournament quarterfinal and just yesterday being named to the G-MAC All-Defensive team, went down with a knee injury and would not return.
Despite that big blow, the Oilers did have a 17-13 lead by the end of the first quarter on the strength of nine points from first team all-G-MAC performer, junior Sydney Kin.
The next ten minutes were not as kind to the Oilers. In the second frame, Findlay turned the ball over six times and the Panthers got hot from deep, making six triples en route to a 26-point quarter.
KWC continued that momentum into the third quarter and outscored the Oilers 24-15 to take a 63-42 lead with ten minutes to play, ultimately cruising to a 20-point victory and a berth in the G-MAC Tournament title game against the Tiffin Dragons.
In the game, Findlay outshot the Panthers, making 44.2% to KWC's 40.9%. However, the Panthers, which took a combined 99 three-point tries in their first two matchups with Findlay this season, threw up 48 shots from deep, connecting on 19. The Oilers hit just three of their 17 tries from deep.
The Panthers also took advantage of Findlay's miscues, scoring 28 points off of the Oilers' 23 turnovers.
For Findlay, junior Sydney Kin led the way, scoring 16 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. She ends her season with a scoring average of 21.7 points per game which establishes a new University of Findlay record, breaking the previous mark of 21.4 ppg by Mianda Watts in the 1999-00. Kin's 21.7 ppg also ranked second in conference history.
Junior Bridget Landin scored 11 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pick up her seventh double-double of the season. She also had five assists and two steals. Junior Paige Bellman scored eight points and had five rebounds.
Off the bench, junior Lilly Simon chipped in 11 points, two assists, and three steals.
