Scots Take OWU Down to Wire in Eventual 69-64 Loss

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster played Ohio Wesleyan University down to the wire, but the Fighting Scots' late potential game-tying 3-point attempt bounced off the back rim, and the Battling Bishops escaped Timken Gymnasium with a 69-64 victory on Wednesday evening in a closely-contested North Coast Athletic Conference tilt.

It was an evenly-matched encounter between the Scots (1-12, 0-4 NCAC) and Bishops (7-6, 3-1 NCAC), especially early on, as it remained a one- or two-possession game for the entirety of the first half. The biggest lead for either team was Ohio Wesleyan at six (35-29) with under a minute remaining, but Hannah Kiser dished to Danielle Besancon for an easy lay-up that made it a four-point game at the break (35-31).

The Scots pulled within two on two occasions at the start of the second half, including after a Lauren Hancher bucket that made it 37-35, but the Bishops countered with an 11-2 scoring run to take a 48-37 lead. Their advantage grew to as much as 13 (60-47), before the Scots came all the way back to make for a dramatic finish.

First, Sydney Failing came up with a steal and passed to Hancher for a fast-break lay-up (60-49), and then on Ohio Wesleyan's next possession, Failing blocked a shot and scored a jumper on the other end to cut the deficit to nine (60-51).

Next, Failing blocked another shot, and then came down to assist on a jumper from Rachel Collins (60-53). Neither team scored again for nearly two minutes, until Failing delivered a 3-pointer to draw Wooster within four at 60-56.

The Bishops interrupted Wooster's 9-0 scoring run with their first basket in seven possessions (62-56), but then once again it was Failing, this time with another 3-pointer (62-59). Shortly after, Hancher made it a one-point game (62-61), and moments later, a Sydney Grier free throw and a Hancher basket knotted the score at 64-64 – erasing the Scots' 13-point deficit.

With :56 seconds remaining in regulation, Ohio Wesleyan's Julius Thomas scored in the paint, and then after a Wooster turnover, Sarah McQuade made the first of two free throw attempts to push her team's lead to three (67-64) with :22 to go.

Following a timeout, the Scots were able to get off a potential game-tying 3-point attempt with :04 on the clock, but the contested shot was just a bit too strong. Ohio Wesleyan corralled the rebound, drew an intentional foul, and sank both free throws to capture the win.

Hancher bounced back from a slow start to score 18 of her game-high 20 points in the second half. She also blocked a career-high three shots and added two rebounds and two assists.

Failing was also all over the stat sheet, with 12 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two blocks, with much of her damage coming as the sparkplug of Wooster's exciting comeback.

Grier matched Failing with 12 points, which included three first-half 3-pointers, and she also added a team-high eight rebounds.

Rounding out the Scots' stat leaders were Collins (8 points, 6 rebounds), Paige Fabry (4 points, 5 rebounds), and Rachel Huxhold (4 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists).

Julius paced the Bishops with 17 markers in the scorebook.

Next up, the Scots host archrival Wittenberg University (10-4, 2-2 NCAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m.