Scots’ Balanced Effort Leads to 68-54 Win Over Oberlin

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster women's basketball team snapped its losing skid in a convincing way Friday evening, as the Fighting Scots took control in the second half en route to a double-digit win over Oberlin College, 68-54, in North Coast Athletic Conference action at Timken Gymnasium.

Leading by eight (31-23) early in the second half, the Scots (7-13, 2-9 NCAC) saw their lead begin to slip away as the Yeowomen (8-13, 3-9 NCAC) scored six in a row to pull within two. It was at that juncture that Suvi Puripattarapan sparked the team with an exciting series of plays that helped Wooster regain control.

First, Puripattarapan slashed to the rim for a lay-in that put Wooster ahead by four at 33-29. Then, after the teams exchanged a few baskets, Puripattarapan drained a key 3-pointer to push the Scots' lead to five (40-35). Oberlin responded to make it a one-possession game (38-35), but Puripattarapan capped off her mini-run by getting loose in the paint again for another lay-up that made it 40-35. Overall, Puripattarapan came off the bench to score seven points in just 1:33.

Wooster extended its lead moments later, when Sydney Grier buried a 3-pointer to go up by eight (43-35), and the Scots kept their opponent at a distance until Oberlin made one last run late in the half.

Oberlin's leading scorer Christina Marquette had been relatively quiet for much of the night, but she scored six points during a 59-second span late in the game to help pull her team within one at 53-52.

The Scots stepped up to the challenge, though, as Jessica Wingen delivered an old-fashioned three-point play to make it 56-52, and Lauren Hancher hit a pair of free throws on the teams' very next possession (58-52) with about three minutes left in regulation.

Wooster held off Oberlin down the stretch with more buckets from the charity stripe, as Rachel Huxhold, Maura Hall, and Karley Walker combined to go 6-for-6 at the line during the final 1:04 to push the margin of victory into double-figures.

Wingen had another impressive night, as she followed up her career-high 26 points earlier in the week with 23 points and 15 rebounds in this contest. She also blocked five shots, pushing her career total to 168, which moved her into second-place all-time in the North Coast Athletic Conference record books. She surpassed Kenyon College's Carolyn Simpson '09 (165).

Hall (11) and Walker (10) also reached double-digits in the scoring column, and Walker also added six assists and four steals.

Also noteworthy, the Scots were 18-for-21 (.857) from the free throw line.

Oberlin was led by Malisa Hoak's 20 tallies.

The Scots will look to make it two in a row when they visit Kenyon College (14-7, 8-4 NCAC) tomorrow for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.