Sophomore forward Ariel Nickell poured in 28 points and received excellent support from her teammates as the Alice Lloyd College Lady Eagles carved out a 76-66 road victory over Ohio Christian University last night. In the opening half, Nickell propelled the guests to a quick lead courtesy of some nifty moves in the paint. When the buzzer sounded for intermission, the Lady Eagles’ lead was eight (38-30). In the second half, ALC maintained their cushion as the Trailblazers fought valiantly to overcome the deficit. Having no choice but to foul in the last few minutes, OCU put the Lady Eagles on the line and hoped for some misses. Their strategy backfired as ALC seniors Sara Burchell, Bailey Gabbard, and Nikki Durman combined to swish 10 consecutive free throws over the last few minutes to keep the hosts at bay. For Alice Lloyd (3-15), Nickell led all scorers with 28. She also added 5 rebounds in completing a full night’s work.

Rugged center Durman banked in 14 points and hauled down a game-high 7 rebounds in her best game back since returning to the lineup following a severe case of appendicitis. The scrappy duo of Gabbard and Burchell added 10 points each. On the night, the victors shot 45% from the field and 70% from the foul line. Dannyell Butte and Sharonda Jones led the Trailblazers (8-8) with 11 points each.