Career-high 20 points for Nickels in loss at Capital

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Senior Jillian Nickels scored a career-high 20 points, as the Olivet College women's basketball team fell to Capital (Ohio) University, 67-58, this evening in the first round of the Marriott Holiday Tournament at the Capital Center in Columbus, Ohio.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Capital 67, Olivet 58
Location: Capital Center; Columbus, Ohio
Records: Capital 3-6 overall, Olivet 0-10 overall

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Following a 9-8 Capital lead in the first quarter, the Comets went on a 7-0 run to take a 15-9 lead. The run was capped by an old-fashioned three-point play by senior Jillian Nickels.
• The Crusaders scored the last basket of the quarter to make the score 15-11 after one period.
• Capital opened the second quarter on a 6-2 run to level the score at 17-17.
• Olivet made a basket to go back up by one, 19-17.
• From there, the Crusaders scored six straight points.
• The Comets closed the gap to two points, 23-21, before Capital ended the quarter on a 6-2 scoring spurt for a 29-23 advantage at halftime.
• In the third quarter, Olivet trimmed its deficit to five points, 37-32, after senior Katie McKinnon drained two free throws at the 7:10 mark.
• The Crusaders then extended their lead to as many as 14 points twice, with the last time being 50-36.
• The Comets scored the last two baskets of the third quarter to trail by 10 points, 50-40, entering the final quarter.
• Olivet was able to get its deficit down to single digits a couple more times, including as little as seven points, 52-45, with 6:26 left in the game.
• Capital scored the next three points and its lead stayed in double figures until the final 30 seconds of the game.

FOR THE COMETS

• Nickels led the way for the Comets with 20 points and nine rebounds.
• Junior Ayren Parrish contributed 14 points.
• Freshman Jazmin Hildebrand had nine points and six rebounds.

FOR THE CRUSADERS

• Elli Wachtman led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
• Ashley Lane and Emily Ondo each scored 10 points.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Nickels' has now scored a new career, single-game scoring in back-to-back games. Her 20-point effort in tonight's game was one better than her 19 points in the Comets' last game against Lawrence Tech on Dec. 20. 
• Parrish's 14 points equals her career-high, as she also previously had 14 points against Alma College on Jan. 7, 2015.
• Tonight's game marked the first time Olivet and Capital have played each other in a women's basketball game.

UP NEXT

• Olivet will play Case Western Reserve (Ohio) University in the consolation game of the tournament tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. The Spartans fell to University of Wis.-Whitewater, 71-54, in the today's other first round game.