By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, OH---Aja Hall (Fostoria/Fostoria, Ohio) led four players in double figures Tuesday night as the Express thoroughly dominated Lourdes University JV in a 99-24 season opening victory at the SHAC.
Hall finished with 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and one block. The sophomore shot 9-for-11 from the field including 3-for-3 from 3-point range. She now has 493 career points.
The victory was so thorough that the Express set a school record for fewest points allowed in a game and had more three pointers made (13) than Lourdes had total field goals (10). The previous fewest points allowed record was 26 against Columbus State on Feb. 6, 2002. Additionally, the 75 point winning margin was three away from another school record.
The Express held Lourdes to 10-for-55 shooting from the floor, including 0-for-4 from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Owens shot 37-for-76 from the field including 13-for-27 from 3-point range. They outrebounded Lourdes 54-31.
Essence Miller (Beecher/Flint, Mich.) notched a double-double in her collegiate debut as she had 16 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block. Emma-Jean Ricketts (Anthony Wayne/Waterville, Ohio) also made her collegiate debut and totaled 15 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal.
A third freshman, Mackenzie Heacock (Arlington/Arlington, Ohio), was the fourth and final player in double figures for the Express. She finished with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Four different players had five assists each for Owens, while eight players had at least four rebounds and five players had at least two steals. Sophomore Hailey Galvan (Archbold/Archbold, Ohio) led the Express in blocks with six. The Express only turned the ball over 11 times.
Owens led Lourdes throughout following a Hall layup after Galvan won the opening tip. The Express continued the surge and opened with an 11-0 run before allowing three straight points. Then, they went on a 21-0 run to take a 32-3 lead with 8:08 remaining in the first half. They closed the half with a 51-11 lead.
Up 53-15 with 18:22 remaining in the second half, the Express went on an 8-0 run. After Lindsay Blake hit a jumper for Lourdes with 10:03 remaining, Owens went on a 22-0 run over the next nine minutes and 49 seconds to take a 97-22 lead.
The Express outscored Lourdes in second chance points 18-5, points in the paint 40-8, points off turnovers 23-5 and bench points 52-3. Nobody scored in double figures for the Gray Wolves, while everyone scored at least two points for the Express.
Owens (1-0) will now travel to Dearborn, Mich., on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup against Henry Ford Community College.