The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
North graduate having a big year for Findlay
Senior is averaging 14.8 points per game
Findlay senior guard Lynsey Englebrecht is averaging a career-high 14.8 points per game for the Oilers, who have won 12 in a row and are in Northeast Ohio to play Ursuline and Lake Erie this week.
University of Findlay senior guard Lynsey Englebrecht is savoring a banner season for herself and the Oilers.
The former Eastlake North High School standout is averaging careerhigh totals of 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Oilers, who ran their winning streak to 12 games on Jan. 2 with a 9288 overtime victory over visiting Ohio Dominican.
Englebrecht finished with 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and a career-high four steals as Findlay improved to 12-1 overall and 9-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
“It feels really good, but we’re not satisfied. We want to keep pushing hard,” Englebrecht said of the Oilers’ fast start.
The 5-foot-7 shooting guard was named G-MAC Player of the Week on Jan. 2 after tallying a careerhigh 26 points in an 8959 win over Davis & Elkins on Dec. 30. She was 8-of-9 from 3-point range, setting single-game program records for made treys and 3-point shooting percentage.
“I had no idea about setting the record during the game. My focus is on winning and not personal numbers,” Englebrecht said.
Englebrecht has cashed in a team-high 50 3-pointers this season to increase her career total to 166, the fourth-most in program history. She is shooting 50.6 percent from 3-point range, second among all NCAA Division II players.
Her emergence this season as a main cog in Findlay’s offense is consistent with a steady arc of progress at the college level.
After averaging 1.5 points as a freshman, Englebrecht upped her production to 6.5 points as a sophomore and 9.1 points as a junior.
“Age is a big part of it, just being around the coaches and the program here for four years,” she said. “This is my last year of basketball. I want to make sure I give everything I have.”
With road games against Ursuline College in Pepper Pike on Jan. 4 and Lake Erie College in Painesville on Jan. 6, Englebrecht gets another chance to display her sharpshooting skills in front of cheering sections that will include her mother and stepfather, Chrissy and Mike Cirino, and younger brother Anthony Cirino.
She also plans to catch up with her high school coach, Paul Force.
“I love being able to play so close to home,” she said.
In November, Englebrecht returned to Northeast Ohio with the Oilers as they faced Wayne State and Tiffin in the G-MAC/ GLIAC Challenge at Lake Erie College.
The Oilers routed Tiffin, 95-63, and were beaten in overtime by Wayne State, 92-88. Englebrecht scored 18 points in the Oilers’ lone loss so far this season.
“Losing was hard, but it was good to go through that and learn lessons about taking care of the little things,” she said.
The game against Ursuline has major implications on the conference race. The Arrows are 11-3 overall and 7-0 in the G-MAC as they pursue a third straight regular-season title. Ursuline is led by senior forward Laney Lewis. The two-time G-MAC Player of the Year is averaging 18.8 points and 13.7 rebounds.
In the second game of this trip, the Oilers will face familiar foes in the LEC Storm and senior forward Kayla Gabor. The former Mentor High School standout is averaging a conference-high 20.9 points for the Storm (6-5, 3-3 G-MAC).
Findlay and LEC joined Hillsdale College, Ohio Dominican University and Walsh University in leaving the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC) after the 2016-17 season to join the G-MAC.
“Some people think the competition level is better in the GLIAC, but I don’t see that,” Englebrecht said. “The GLIAC is a really competitive league where you play solid teams every night. It’s the same in the G-MAC.”
In addition to her accomplishments on the court, Englebrecht is a high achiever in the classroom. The 21-year-old marketing major is on the dean’s list.
“I really give my Google Calendar a workout,” Englebrecht said, laughing. “I’m not perfect. I have to work every semester to get in the mindset of being a student first and an athlete second. It’s especially important because of all the travel. Time management is a big thing.”