Wooster Rolls Past OWU 69-46

WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster women's basketball team used season-highs in assists (18) and 3-pointers (8) to record its most decisive North Coast Athletic Conference victory in nine years, as the Fighting Scots cruised to a 23-point win, 69-46, over Ohio Wesleyan University on Wednesday evening at Timken Gymnasium.

The last time the Scots (8-14, 3-10 NCAC) won an NCAC match-up by a larger margin was during the 2003-04 season when they dropped Hiram College by 30 (78-48).

Wooster jumped out to an 11-point lead (19-8) when Rachel Huxhold hit the teams' fifth 3-pointer of the game just midway through the first half. Prior to Huxhold's 3, Karley Walker and Sydney Grier had each sunk a pair from behind the arc.

The Scots' cushion grew to as much as 15 (31-16) after Maura Hall pumped in seven points during a 9-2 scoring run, but Wooster settled for an 11-point advantage (33-22) at the break.

Walker opened the second half by making two mid-range jumpers, and moments later, Grier and Huxhold each delivered 3-pointers, followed by a lay-in from Jessica Wingen, which gave Wooster a commanding 20-point lead (45-25).

The lead reached its peak at 26 points (60-34), when Grier dropped in a lay-up as part of her career-high 11 points with 6:29 remaining on the clock, and Wooster nearly maintained its lofty margin down the stretch.

Along with Wooster's season-highs in assists and 3-pointers, the Scots also turned the ball over a season-low 12 times and shot a solid 43.3 percent (26-for-60) from the field.

Four players reached double-figures in the scoring column, highlighted by Huxhold, who chipped in a career-high 15 points to go along with four assists and two steals. Walker and Hall scored 12 each, while Grier added 11, and Lauren Hancher had nine.

Ironically, Wooster's leading-scorer Wingen (14.5 ppg) only tacked on four points in the rout, largely because the Scots were connecting on their outside shots, but she did contribute game-highs in rebounds (10) and blocks (3).

Ohio Wesleyan (7-15, 6-7 NCAC) was paced by Emily Julius' 13 points and five rebounds off the bench.

Wooster now finds itself in the thick of a three-way battle with Oberlin College (8-15, 3-11 NCAC) and Hiram (8-15, 3-11 NCAC) for the final spots in the NCAC Tournament. Next up, the Scots host archrival Wittenberg University (11-11, 7-6 NCAC) on Saturday at 2 p.m.