Not since the 2000-01 season had The College of Wooster women's basketball team notched a win over Denison College, but the Fighting Scots broke their 19-game losing streak to the Big Red with a 72-59 thumping Friday night in a North Coast Athletic Conference tilt at Granville, Ohio.
Trailing 30-31 at the break, the Scots (4-9, 1-3 NCAC) returned to the court on a terror, as Taylor Keegan connected on a 3-pointer on a pass from Samantha Justice that sparked a 21-5 Wooster run to start the second half. Back-to-back Kym Wenz jumpers gave the Scots an eight-point lead (40-32), but a basket by Shaina Kaiser on the other end drew the Big Red (10-3, 2-2 NCAC) within six with 14 minutes remaining in the game.
Wooster didn't waver, as Kristen Schwartz dropped in a lay up, and Kaitlin Krister scored consecutive baskets in the paint, with the latter resulting in a three-point play, to push its lead to 13 (47-34). Wenz then followed up a Colleen Goodwillie 3-ball with two of her own, and Schwartz scored underneath the basket again which resulted in Wooster's biggest cushion of the night, a 20-point lead (62-42) with 3:54 to go in the contest.
The Big Red scored 10 unanswered points over the next two minutes to creep back within 52-62. From that moment on Denison began fouling on each Wooster possession, but Wenz sealed the win by hitting 10-of-12 free throws over the final 1:38 of action.
Wenz finished the night with a game-high 32 points on 9-of-18 shooting, her third game this season in which she has scored at least 30 points. She also added seven rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while turning the ball over only once in 37 minutes on the court.
The last time Wooster beat Denison was on Dec. 5, 2000, when the Scots prevailed 75-70 on the road. Tonight's win can be credited to a solid defensive effort, as Wooster held Denison under 30 percent shooting, which included a dismal 20 percent (6-of-30) on 3-pointers. Wooster also turned the ball over just 13 times, its second lowest output on the season.
Also chipping in on the offensive end was Schwartz who scored a career-high 13 points. Keegan added eight-points and seven rebounds, marking her sixth-consecutive game with at least seven points. Krister was solid in recording 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Leading the way for Denison was Kaiser's 17 points and nine boards, while Christina Myers poured in 15 points to go along with her eight rebounds.
Wooster will play its second game in as many nights tomorrow when Kenyon College (8-3, 1-1) visits Timken Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.