The John Carroll Women’s Basketball team took a trip to Wilmington for their final regular season game on Sat., Feb. 18. The Blue Streaks kept a handle on the trajectory of the game, but weren’t able to overcome the deficit created by the Quakers, resulting in a 61-70 loss.

However, the more important aspect to note is that the Blue and Gold still punched a ticket to the Ohio Athletic Conference tournament in spite of the loss. Even though the final result wasn’t in favor of John Carroll, there is plenty to highlight from this business trip to Wilmington.

The Blue and Gold showcased serious talent in the first half of play, resulting in a 33-27 lead going into the locker rooms at the half.

It seemed as if the momentum was in favor of John Carroll, but the Quakers began the third quarter with an amped mindset that created a circumstance in which maintaining a lead would be extremely difficult for John Carroll. 

Kaelyn Underwood ‘23 finished the day with 20 points, but her talents were missed when she entered foul trouble territory late in the game. However, Olivia Giunta ‘25 understood her assignment as she entered the game and tallied a quick 12 points to keep the Blue Streaks alive.

But John Carroll wasn’t able to hold on as the final minutes faded off the clock. With 47 points across both squads prior to the onset of the last quarter, a back-and-forth game was inevitable.

The Quakers netted 26 points in the last quarter, making it nearly impossible for the Blue Streaks to rally on the counter-attack.

The Blue and Gold, regardless of outcome, continue to showcase a valiant effort in all of their games, which will likely translate well into the postseason.

OAC competitors should be wary of underestimating the talent of the Blue Streaks because we have seen their immense amounts of capability. John Carroll’s time will certainly come and what better way to earn narrow victories than in the postseason, when it matters most. If anything, the Blue Streaks’ final matchup against Wilmington helped to solidify the fact that the OAC has been, and always will be, a competitive conference.

The Blue and Gold dropped their game on Tues., Feb. 21 to the Baldwin Wallace Yellow Jackets on the road as their 2022-23 campaign comes to an end.