By Chris Schmidbauer, Sports Information Director

Toledo, OH -- Despite a slow start to the year, the Owens Women's Basketball program came agonizingly close to playing to defend their District Championship from a year ago. The Express fell in Sunday's Division III Region XII title match to Columbus State 52-50.

The Express started the season out 0-8, after playing an extremely difficult non-conference schedule. Owens would go winless the entire month of November, and the team would not claim their first victory until December 4th against Bryant & Stratton. The team would end up with a record of 10-6 overall the final 16 games of the season. They would ultimately end the year with a record of 10-14 overall and a conference mark of 6-3 in the OCCAC. 

Owens was led in scoring by Shyah Wheeler. She finished averaging 19.6 points per game. For her career in an Owens uniform, Wheeler averaged 18.6 ppg during her two seasons. Whitney Thames finished second on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game. 

Thames was the Express's leading rebounder. She finished at 13.8 rebounds per outing, despite playing just half of a season. For her time with the program, she averaged 12.5 caroms per game as a member of the Express. Wheeler was the team's second leading rebounder with 8.9 a game. Tori Kopp and Alyssa West each averaged 2.3 and 2.1 assists per game respectively to lead the team this year. 

Thames would tally another double-double for the season this past weekend. That represent her sixth of the year and Thames's 14th overall in her Owens career. Wheeler would net her seventh double-doubles this season for the Express this past weekend and her 15th overall during her time donning the red and white of Owens. 

The Express will lose five sophomores in Tori Kopp, Alyssa West, Shyah Wheeler, Whitney Thames, and Lilliana Velazquez. Owens has two players that are expected to return next season.