Wooster Falls Short Against Oberlin 69-61

Jessica Wingen scored 20 points, and Lauren Hancher added a career-high 14, but Oberlin College made 11 3-pointers to get past the Fighting Scots 69-61 on Wednesday evening in a North Coast Athletic Conference tilt at Oberlin, Ohio.

The Scots (6-10, 1-6 NCAC) limited Oberlin (8-8, 3-4 NCAC) to just 31.2 percent shooting from the field, but 11 of the Yeowomen's 20 baskets came from behind the arc.

Wooster trailed 16-8 in the early goings, until Suvi Puripattarapan knocked down a jumper, and Wingen scored three straight buckets in the paint to tie the game 16-16 about midway through the first half.

At that juncture, both defenses settled in, and neither team allowed a point for a 4:09 stretch. Finally, Ellen Neumann sunk a 3-pointer, which was only Oberlin's second of the game at that point, to put her team ahead 19-16.

Oberlin then gained the momentum and went into the break with a nine-point lead (35-24), thanks to three quick 3-pointers from Malisa Hoak, though Sydney Grier did hit one of her season-high three 3-pointers late in the half as well which kept the Scots within striking distance.

Wooster opened the second half on a 7-0 scoring run, which was keyed by Hancher, who assisted on a Karley Walker 3-ball and then scored back-to-back baskets to cut the Scots' deficit to just two at 34-32.

But just as quickly as Wooster got back into the game, Oberlin was able to construct its own run, as it scored the next 10 in a row to take a commanding 44-32 lead, which is used to keep the Scots at bay the rest of the contest.

Along with its 11 3-pointers, Oberlin also went 18-for-23 (78.0 percent) from the free throw line and turned the ball over just six times.

Wingen's team-high 20 points came along with six rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. Hancher's 14 came on a career-high 16 shot attempts, while Walker (12) and Grier (9) were also key scoring contributors. Also noteworthy, guards Rachel Huxhold and Maura Hall each totaled seven boards.

Oberlin was paced by Hoaks's game-high 28 points, which included five 3-pointers. Hoak also added seven assists and four steals in a dominant effort.

Next, Wooster visits its archrival Wittenberg University (7-8, 3-3 NCAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m.