Scots Conclude Holiday Classic with Loss to Bison

The College of Wooster women's basketball team concluded its run in Marietta College's Jim Meagle Holiday Classic on Thursday with a 77-52 loss to Bethany College.

Wooster trailed by just two points at halftime until shooting struggles developed throughout the second half.

Senior Masani Francis led the Scots with 11 points. Junior Paige Wells tied a season-high with eight points off the bench.

Sophomore Harley Holloway also scored eight points. First-year Maia Doescher collected five points, six rebounds and five assists.

Alyssa Chritz scored six and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, and Krista English finished with seven points and five rebounds.

Bethany had three reach double figures in scoring including a game-high 18 points from Makenzee Mason.

Bethany led 11-3 midway through the first quarter before Wooster went on an 8-0 run to tie it up with points from Francis, Chritz and Holloway. Wooster then ran into some bad luck as Bethany used the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 20-13 lead, concluding with a half-court bucket at the buzzer.

A scorebook discrepancy gave Bethany two free throws to start the second, and they scored the first four points to draw its lead to nine.

Wooster found some momentum down seven with an 8-0 run that put them in the lead at 28-27. Holloway started with a score before Wells made a 3-pointer, and Francis connected on an and-one.

Unfortunately, the lead changed hands for the third time on the next possession, and Bethany never trailed for the remainder of the game.

Wooster did tie it again with a 3-pointer from Melissa Burtscher to make it 35-35 with 1:36 left in the half before Bethany took a 39-37 lead into halftime.

Bethany grew its lead to 51-41 with 4:32 left in the third and got it to 59-46 by the end of the quarter. The Bison saw its lead reach 21 with 2:18 left in the game.

Bethany shot over 50 percent (31-of-61) for the game despite struggling from 3-point range (16 percent). Wooster went 20-of-64 (31 percent) and 6-of-27 (22 percent) from deep. The Scots also went 6-of-11 from the line (55 percent).

The Bison won the battle of the boards 45-34 and outscored Wooster in the paint 52-18. Both teams committed 14 turnovers, and Wooster scored 15 points off Bethany's miscues.

Bethany improves to 7-3, while Wooster drops to 3-9. Wooster will host its final non-conference game on Sunday when they take on Alma College (7-4).