Hancher Leads Scot Comeback Bid That Falls Just Short

Lauren Hancher scored a career-high 29 points to help The College of Wooster nearly complete an improbable comeback, as it battled back from an 18-point second-half deficit to pull within four with under a minute remaining in regulation, but Schreiner University held on to edge out the Fighting Scots 68-61 on Wednesday evening at Kerrville, Texas.

Hancher's 29 points were the most by a Scot since former All-American Kym Wenz scored 35 on Feb. 13, 2010.

Playing for the first time in 11 days, the Scots (5-3) got off to a slow start, as Schreiner (4-4) built an 11-0 cushion just 3:40 into the action. That opening sequence proved to be the difference in the game, as Wooster went on to outscore Schreiner 61-57 from that point on.

Down by 18 (42-24) early in the second half, the Scots began to rally behind Hancher, who scored three consecutive baskets to make it a 12-point game at 42-30. Schreiner stopped the mini-run with its own bucket around the 15-minute mark, only to have Hancher convert an old-fashioned three-point play, followed by a Karley Walker jumper that drew Wooster within single-digits at 44-35.

The Scots were unable to get any closer than that, until Sydney Grier drained a 3-pointer that once again cut the deficit to nine (49-40), and kick-started a 10-2 scoring run that ended with Wooster just four points down (51-47) with 6:38 left in the second half.

Schreiner regained control momentarily to go up by 10 (61-51), but Grier went back to work, sinking two more 3-pointers, and then a basket from Suvi Puripattarapan made it another four-point game (63-59), this time with just under two minutes to go.

Hancher connected on her 11th shot of the game on a dish from Walker with 52 seconds on the clock, which again had Wooster within four at 65-61, but Schreiner made three of its four free throw attempts down the stretch to create the final margin.

It was an impressive game for Hancher, as she scored 12 points in the first half, and 17 in the second, on her way to 29 points on 11-for-22 shooting from the field. She also went 7-for-7 from the free throw line, pulled down six rebounds, and dished out an assist.

Grier was next in line with nine points, coming on three second-half 3-pointers, while Walker recorded seven points and three assists, and Puripattarapan tallied six points, six rebounds, and four steals.

Wooster will be back in action Friday when it visits Texas Lutheran University (3-2) for a 1 p.m. CST (noon EST) tip.