By Chris Schmidbauer, Sports Information Director
Toledo, OH -- After a snow storm postponed their scheduled game on Monday, the Owens Women's Basketball program hadn't hit the hardwood in an official capacity in a little over a week. The Express had to weather through an uneven performance, but the team was able to come away with their fourth straight victory, 61-48, over Cuyahoga.
The Express would shoot just 33% from the field for the ballgame, but the team never trailed the Challengers throughout the game.
Owens would lead after the opening quarter at 14-13. Neither team performed well in the second period, with Owens shooting just 16.75 from the floor while Cuyahoga shot 18.2%. The Express outscored the visitors 11-8 in the ten minutes before halftime. The Express led 25-21 at the break.
The third quarter would be another tight affair, with Owens outscoring the Challengers 16-14.
The turning point came in the fourth period, with Owens pulling away, outscoring Cuyahoga by seven in the period. Much of the point differential came at the charity stripe for the Express. Owens was a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line. At one point, Moreina Moore would hit four free throws in a row after a double technical foul was called on Cuyahoga's, Lovie Hendon.
Turnovers were a major factor for both teams during the contest. Both teams would combine to turn the ball over 34 times in the game, and they would combine for 26 steals.
Owens would be led in scoring by sophomore Taylor Works. The Waite High School product would finish with a game high 20 points on 7-11 shooting. She was 2-2 from beyond the arc and a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line. She also had three rebounds and three assists.
Moore would have 19 points, and she made her living at the free throw line. The freshman was 13-14 from the charity stripe in the game. She would also grab five rebounds and four steals against the Challengers.
Whitney Thames only scored two points, but she was effective in other ways. She had a team high eight boards and a team high five steals. Shyah Wheeler scored 10 points on 4-11 shooting from the field.
Owens has now won four games in a row. They are 5-3 overall and are currently 2-0 in the OCCAC early in the conference season.
The Express will put their winning streak on the line once more this Saturday. The team will take on Macomb from the SHAC at 1 PM. The team will then go on a four game road trip before returning home on December 19 to take on Schoolcraft.