Wooster Falls to Denison in Return to Conference Play

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster women's basketball team dropped its first contest of 2016 as visiting Denison University used a late run in the first period to help jump-start itself to a 67-48 North Coast Athletic Conference win on Sunday afternoon at Timken Gymnasium in Wooster, Ohio.

Neither team had a strong start to the contest offensively with both team combining to miss the first 10 field goal attempts of the afternoon. Denison's (10-3, 3-1 NCAC) Kellie Arter broke through in the scoring column with a pair of free throws with 7:32 remaining in the first period for the contest's first points.

Wooster (5-7, 1-2 NCAC) answered back just over a minute later, when a jumper from first-year Anna Gibbs tied the score at two, before a jumper in the paint from junior Danielle Besancon knotted the tilt at four.

Denison countered with a 9-0 run, as part of an extended 15-2 clip to take a 19-6 lead after the first period. Junior standout Jordan Holmes led the run with eight of her game-high 17 points.

Wooster had an impressive 5-0 swing to start the second period with first-year Christina Vukovich leading the way. The Medina, Ohio native opened the frame with a jumper in the paint, and added a free throw moments later. Gibbs capped with run with two of her team-high 12 points, cutting Wooster's deficit to eight at 19-11.

The Big Red kept up their hot start with a second 15-2 stretch to open up a 21-point cushion at 34-13.

Wooster had a key run of its own near the end of the first half with junior Rachel Collins, senior Lauren Hancher, and Gibbs teaming up on a 7-0 burst for the Fighting Scots.

The Scots found some offensive success midway through the third period, when jumpers from Hancher and Gibbs, coupled with a pair of free throws from sophomore Kyle Croxton, added up to a 6-0 Wooster swing.

The two squads traded points for much of the fourth period, with neither team stringing together more than four straight points. Two late free throws from junior Sydney Failing enabled the Scots to finish with a two-point scoring edge over the Big Red in the frame.

Hancher joined Gibbs in double figures for Wooster with 10 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds.

Holmes, the national leader in rebounding, had another strong day on the defensive end with 16 rebounds and seven blocked shots.

Of note, Wooster matched its season-low with 12 turnovers, while the contest was the Scots' first conference game since Dec. 9.

Wooster returns to action with a 6 p.m. tilt at Ohio Wesleyan University (1-10, 0-3 NCAC) on Wednesday.