Emerson Gray pours in a career-high 32 points to lead Women's Basketball in 80-66 win over Heidelberg
January 28, 2026
ADA — Sophomore Emerson Gray (Liberty Center) scored a career-high 32 points to lead the Ohio Northern women's basketball team to an 80-66 win over Heidelberg on Wednesday evening.
- Records: Ohio Northern (7-12 Overall, 6-4 OAC), Heidelberg (1-16 Overall, 0-9 OAC).
- Venue: ONU Sports Center — Ada, Ohio.
The Game
- Gray also had a team-high seven rebounds and four assists and was 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
- Junior Lexee Brewer (Sidney) added 13 points, including a perfect two-for-two on 3-pointers, and also had a team-best four assists and four steals.
- Freshman Taylor Wagner (Versailles) had her own career-high of nine points and added four boards and two assists.
- Junior Courtney Sumner (Ada) also had a team-high four steals and added six points.
- Heidelberg was led by Brenna Williams with 12 points.
- The Student Princes started the game hot shooting 60 percent from the floor in the first quarter.
- Heidelberg took their biggest lead of the game with 2:16 left in the first, going up 22-9.
- Northern scored four points to end the quarter, making the score 22-13 going into the second quarter.
- The Student Princes led 35-31 at halftime.
- A layup from Sumner halfway through the third quarter gave ONU their first lead of the game, going up 39-37.
- ONU led 52-47 at the end of the third.
- Threes from Brewer and junior Liv Mueller (Defiance/Tinora) to start the fourth quarter gave ONU a 58-50 lead.
- The Polar Bears went on a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter and took an 18-point lead, their largest of the game, to secure the win.
- Ohio Northern made 28-of-57 field goals for 49.1 percent and was 6-of-19 from beyond the arc for 31.6 percent, while Heidelberg was 22-of-48 from the floor for 45.8 percent and finished 6-of-15 on 3-pointers for 40.0 percent.
- The Polar Bears made 18-of-21 free throws for 85.7 percent and the Student Princes were 16-of-18 from the line for 88.9 percent.
- ONU out-rebounded HU 32-23.
Notables
- Ohio Northern is now 65-26 all-time against Heidelberg, including a 35-11 record in the ONU Sports Center.
- Gray leads the Polar Bears in scoring (14.7 ppg), rebounding (5.5 rpg) and is second in assists (40) and steals (35) this season.
- Brewer leads the team in assists (41) and steals (38).
- Sophomore Charlotte Pauling (Beavercreek) is second on the team in scoring at 9.3 ppg and rebounding at 4.0 rpg.
- Sumner is third in scoring with 6.9 ppg.
- Gray ranks second in the OAC in free throw shooting, going 70-for-87 for 80.5 percent.
- This is the 54th season of Ohio Northern women's basketball. The Polar Bears are now 785-527 all-time in program history for a winning percentage of .598.
- Sixth-year head coach Mark Huelsman is now 94-51 at Ohio Northern, a winning percentage of .648.
Up Next
- The Polar Bears return to action on Saturday at Capital at approximately 3:30 p.m.
