Senior point guard Katie Mengos has been a steadying presence at point guard for the Polar Bears and hasn't missed a free throw all season.  Ohio Northern athletics photo

Signs of success are everywhere for Ohio Northern’s women’s basketball team: the No. 8 ranking in the country, a 15-game win streak, an Ohio Athletic Conference championship clearly within reach.

But what you don’t hear the Polar Bears talking about is any of the above. Only the next game on the schedule is on their minds.

“It’s nice to be successful, but I haven’t heard any of the players mention the streak or the ranking,” said Ohio Northern coach Michele Durand. “It shows you how focused our team is. They have done a good job of staying focused all season and they understand that every game is important.”

Winning isn’t new to Ohio Northern. The Polar Bears are in the midst of their third consecutive winning season and entered the second to last week of January with a 16-1 overall record and a 10-0 mark in the conference.

They finished as the runner-up in the conference tournament last year, falling to Mount Union77-60, and it was a loss that wiped out their hopes for an NCAA tournament bid despite the fact that the Polar Bears finished the season with 21 wins and only six losses.

The players haven’t forgotten what it felt like to have their season end sooner than expected. They have used that disappointment as motivation for this year, and so far, it’s worked out pretty well.

“They didn’t like what happened to them last year when they didn’t get into the NCAA tournament,” Durand said. “They worked very hard in the offseason to get ready for this year and they want to make sure that they control their fate rather than have someone decide it for them.”

Five seniors are on the Polar Bears’ roster and that experience has made a difference in terms of keeping this team on track.

Morgan Dumbaugh and Joanna Snyder have led the way. Dumbaugh is averaging 11.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while Snyder has clicked for 14.2 points per outing. Snyder is grabbing 5.7 rebounds per game and has blocked 14 shots.

Katie Mengos, the point guard of the Polar Bears, is averaging 5.9 points per game and has dished out 54 assists. She has also gotten the job done on defense, racking up 45 steals.

Katie Jones and Marissa Clark are the other seniors and have made their share of contributions as well.

“The fact that we have been focused has a lot to do with our senior leadership,” Durand said. “They have all played a big role in our success and their experience has been beneficial.”

While Dumbaugh and Snyder often grab the headlines because of their ability to take over a game, Mengos has been the unsung hero of this team. She is averaging less than two turnovers per game and has been poised while running an Ohio Northern offense that is averaging 71.5 points per game.

“Our point guard is a big key to our success,” Durand said. “She doesn’t get a lot of the headlines or the attention, but she has a very good assist-to-turnover ratio and has done a great job of running our offense. She deserves a lot of credit.”

Cenzie Yoder, a junior center, has been crucial to the success of Ohio Northern as well. Yoder leads the team in scoring at 15.1 points per outing and is grabbing 7.9 rebounds per game.

“We have been pretty consistent on offense and we have good balance,” Durand said. “We don’t have to rely on just one or two players. We have a good inside game but we have players who can knock down shots from the perimeter, too.”

Ohio Northern has been a handful to deal with on defense as well. The Polar Bears are allowing only 53.4 points per game and have given up 60 or more only five times during their win streak.

“Whenever I write our keys to success on the board before a game, I always put defense at the top,” Durand said. “We work hard on being a good defensive team and our goal is to hold a team below 60 in every game.”

As good as the Polar Bears have been, though, they know their journey isn’t done yet. There is no time for them to sit back and admire what they have accomplished up to this point because so much more is still on the line.

“We have a long way to go,” Durand said. “We have to continue to stay focused on one game at a time and we want to do a better job of rebounding the basketball. We also want to be more consistent on defense and continue to do a good job of taking care of the ball.”

And if the Polar Bears do continue to make strides, Durand is confident her team will be in contention for the OAC title and an NCAA tournament berth at the end of the year.

“No question. We have the talent and experience, and if we can continue to improve, we will have a chance to be very successful.”

Top 25 Notes

Men: No. 8 Wooster and No. 22 Ohio Wesleyan entered their North Coast Athletic Conference showdown both ranked in the top 10, but it was the Fighting Scots who prevailed, earning an 88-82 win on the road Saturday. Wooster led 42-40 at the half and Xavier Brown and Doug Thorpe scored 20 points apiece for the Fighting Scots. Andy Winters came through with a stellar effort for the Bishops, dropping in 29 points. Wooster shot 50 percent from the floor and Ohio Wesleyan shot 46.4 percent. ... Nik Biberaj made his presence felt for No. 15 Christopher Newport, scoring 24 points and pulling down 16 rebounds as the Captains knocked off Maryville 79-71 on Saturday. It was his third 20-point game in the last four outings. ... No. 17 Calvin remained perfect in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association as it knocked off Trine56-43 on Saturday. The Knights shot only 32.1 percent from the field but Bryan Powell and Tyler Kruis scored 16 points apiece to lift Calvin to the win. Powell drilled four treys. ... Harrison George and Khobi Williamson stepped up and led No. 23 Hampden-Sydney to a 104-94 win over Eastern Mennonite on Saturday. George poured in 33 points while Williamson went off for 29 points. George also tallied nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Tigers shot 71.1 percent from the field.

Women: Savannah Trees scored 17 points while Alex Garaway dropped in 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as top-ranked DePauw knocked off Oberlin 67-49 on Saturday. The Tigers are 17-0 and have won 42 consecutive games in the regular season. The Tigers have not trailed at all in their last seven games. ... No. 2 Calvin got a big lift from Carissa Verkaik as it rolled to a 74-54 win over Rochester College on Saturday. Verkaik made history as well, becoming the first player in program history to reach 2,000 points. She scored 22 points and pulled down 12 rebounds for her 42nd career double-double as well. ... No. 3 Hope didn’t stumble a second straight year on the road against Trine as it topped the Thunder 75-39 on Saturday. Brittany Berry scored a career-high 23 points as she tied the single-game mark for 3-pointers made with seven. Hope hit a total of 13 treys in the win, the most in any game since the 2004-05 season. ... Joanna Snyder scored 22 points and led No. 8 Ohio Northern to a 72-61 win over John Carroll on Saturday. The Polar Bears have won 15 consecutive games and are unbeaten in the Ohio Athletic Conference. ... No. 10 Thomas More extended its win streak to 13 games as it took down Grove City 61-35 on Saturday. Allison Long paced the Saints with 13 points and Katie Kitchen scored eight points and pulled down 10 rebounds. The Saints held the Wolverines to 21.6 percent shooting. ... No. 19 Louisiana College stretched its home win streak to 45 games as it crushed Ozarks 108-62 on Saturday. The Wildcats hit the century mark for the fourth time this season as Natosha Gottlieb dropped in 19 points to go along with six rebounds, five assists and seven steals. ... No. 22 Ferrum put itself back in a tie for first place in the USA South Athletic Conference as it rolled to a 105-82 win over North Carolina Wesleyan on Sunday. Katy Kipps came through with a 28-point performance to pace the Panthers, who shot 45.5 percent from the field. Kelsey Frazier added 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. ... No. 23 Mount Union knocked off Heidelberg 96-85 on Saturday behind a career-high effort from Amanda Turner. Turner clicked for 26 points on a day when she nailed eight 3-pointers to tie the single-game school record. Rosa LaMattina added 21 points and 10 assists on a day when the Purple Raiders knocked down 19 treys to set a school and OAC record.

American Southwest Conference

LeTourneau’s men’s basketball team had an opportunity to move into second place in the Eastern Division but lost 89-68 to Texas-Tyler on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets fell behind 35-23 at halftime and were unable to battle back despite 17 points and six rebounds from Justin Jones. Kendrae Carter added 13 points as LeTourneau fell to 7-10 overall and to 6-5 in the league. Darren Houliston scored 17 points to lead Texas-Tyler.

Texas Lutheran seemed poised for a win over Concordia (Texas) on Saturday, leading 32-27 at halftime, but the Bulldogs couldn’t hold on and fell 66-59.

Taylor Dydalewicz played well in the loss, scoring 15 points and grabbing four rebounds. Italy Taylor added 10 points and dished out three assists. Madi Hess led Concordia with 18 points.

Great South Athletic Conference

Spelman gave Salem all it could handle on Sunday, getting as close as one in the second half before falling 62-53.

The Jaguars were playing their second game in as many days and Tiana Welch came through with 11 points to pace Spelman, which only trailed 32-30 at the half after leading by five. Jasmine Taylor scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds.

Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

DaunTrell Hill turned out to be the hero for Olivet in its 68-65 win over Hope on Saturday.
Hill nailed a 3-pointer with seventh-tenths of a second remaining to lift the Comets to a thrilling victory.

Hill finished his day with only seven points but he also dished out six assists. T.J. Vondette and Blake Krum paced the Comets with 19 points apiece while Dakotah Ellis added 17 points. The Comets shot 42.1 percent from the field.

Alma’s women’s basketball team went on the road Saturday and earned a 67-52 win over Kalamazoo. With the win, the Scots maintained hope of earning a berth in the conference tourney next month.

Mallory Pruett poured in 16 points to pave the way while Mary Schlicher clicked for 12 points. The Scots shot only 36.5 percent from the floor but held the Hornets to 29.1 percent shooting.

North Coast Athletic Conference

Hiram’s men’s basketball team ran its win streak to three games with a 62-57 win over Wittenberg on Saturday.

The Terriers trailed 25-20 at halftime but battled back to nail down the victory on a day when it shot 40.4 percent from the floor. Alan Sheppard scored 20 points to pace Hiram while Aaron Stefanov pumped in 14 points. Hiram scored 11 points off turnovers in the win.

Malisa Hoak came through with a 28-point performance for Oberlin in its 69-61 win over Wooster last Wednesday. Hoak made five 3-pointers in the victory en route to a career-high scoring performance.

Christina Marquette added 14 points and 16 rebounds in the win, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Ohio Athletic Conference

Baldwin Wallace’s men’s basketball team is on a roll. The Yellow Jackets won their 10th consecutive game on Saturday as it topped league-leading Capital 79-67.

Kyle Payne poured in 17 points in the win and pushed his career scoring total to 1,033 points. Kevin Krakowiak added 15 points for the Yellow Jackets, who shot 45.5 percent from the floor and are now tied for second in the league standings.

Allie Lustig wasn’t able to help lead John Carroll to an upset of nationally ranked Ohio Northern on Saturday, but she did break the single-game record for assists in a game with 14 in a 72-61 loss.

The old mark was 13 and was set in 1991.

Beth Switzler and Melissa Spahar scored 13 points apiece in the loss and Meghan Weber added 10 points for the Blue Streaks, who have lost two consecutive games.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference

Bridgewater’s men’s basketball team had Randolph on the ropes Saturday but the Eagles couldn’t hang on to a 14-point halftime lead against one of the top teams in the conference and fell 62-53.

Bridgewater shot 51.8 percent from the field in the opening half but finished the game shooting 38.6 percent from the floor.

Tavis Stapleton scored 16 points to pace the Eagles while Ed Reddick came through with a double-double as he scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Eastern Mennonite avenged an early-season loss to Virginia Wesleyan by knocking off the Marlins 70-54 on Saturday in a key women’s conference game.

The Royals had four players score in double figures, with Shakeerah Sykes pouring in 11 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Bianca Ygarza clicked for 11 points as well and pulled down seven rebounds.

Kala Yoders came through with 11 points and Keyla Baltimore added 11 points as well.

Eastern Mennonite shot 50 percent from the field and held a 40-30 edge on the boards.

Presidents’ Athletic Conference

Saint Vincent stayed in contention for a conference title by knocking off Waynesburg 80-67 last Wednesday. Dillon Stith led the way as he poured in a career-high 29 points for the Bearcats, who are 12-5 overall and 7-1 in the PAC.

Stith also pulled down 11 rebounds in the win as he tallied his first double-double of the year. Chris Klimchock had a big game as well, clicking for 23 points. He nailed three treys while JC Howard hit three long-range shots as well and scored 16.

Gabby Holko is having quite a run for Westminster when it comes to scoring points. Holko scored in double figures for the eighth consecutive game on Saturday as she led the Titans to a 59-48 win over Washington and Jefferson.

Holko scored 15 points in the victory as the Titans won their third consecutive game while ending the Presidents’ four-game win streak.

Andi Ridge and Jenna Grandy poured in 11 points apiece for Westminster.

Southern Athletic Association

Sewanee’s men’s basketball team was looking for its second conference win of the year but started slow against Oglethorpe and lost 78-62 on Sunday. The Tigers fell behind 19-0 to start the game but played better in the second half on a day when it shot 39.7 percent from the field.

Keshonn Carter scored 12 to pace the Tigers. Tyler Brown and Nilan Hodge added 11 points apiece. Jordan Kinney led Oglethorpe with 20 points.

Oglethorpe’s women’s basketball team stepped up defensively and earned a 39-35 win over Sewanee on Sunday.

The Petrels fell behind 12-2 early but battled back en route to the win. Sarah Giles recorded a double-double as she scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. Kalin Williams added 11 points.

Oglethorpe only shot 34 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 17 times but it held Sewanee to 25.6 percent shooting.

USA South Athletic Conference

Justin Pierce delivered a big-time performance for Averett in a conference game on Saturday, pouring in 39 points as the Cougars earned an 88-74 win over North Carolina Wesleyan.

Pierce bested his old career high by two points and was just two points shy of tying the school record for points in a game.

Pierce also finished with nine rebounds and won the battle against Brandon Givens, who came in as the leading scorer in the league and poured in 27 points for the Bishops.

Bradley Robinson dropped in 15 points and pulled down seven rebounds to help pace the Cougars.

Methodist’s women’s basketball team forced 32 turnovers to help fuel a 68-59 win over Meredith on Saturday.

Christina Schrader and T.T. Taylor scored 14 points apiece to lead the Monarchs, who shot just 37.5 percent from the field. Taylor not got the job done on the scoreboard, but she grabbed eight rebounds, tallied three steals and dished out two assists.

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference

Centenary couldn’t avoid its third consecutive loss as it fell 70-56 to Dallas on Saturday.

The Gents allowed the Crusaders to shoot 48.1 percent from the floor. Centenary shot 36.4 percent from the field and Brooks Pawsat scored 12 to lead the Gents. It was his first double-digit performance of the season.

Donovan Williams added 11 points and Jonathan Blount scored 10 to go along with seven rebounds.

Colorado College’s women’s basketball team was unable to hang on to a first-half lead and dropped a 61-49 decision to Austin College on Sunday.

The Tigers had won the previous two meetings this season and had a seven-point lead at halftime before the Kangaroos rallied for the win.

Marissa Gradoz scored 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead Colorado College. Sarah Gunkel and Courtney Tyus added 13 and 11 points, respectively.