Wooster's Potent Offense Not Enough in High-Scoring Setback to No. 15 DePauw

Only seven times in its last 101 games has DePauw University allowed 68 or more points, and two of those games have come against The College of Wooster, as the Fighting Scots once again gave a strong effort against the nationally-ranked Tigers, but wound up with a loss, 92-69, on Saturday afternoon in North Coast Athletic Conference action at Greencastle, Ind.

Last year, the Scots (1-5, 0-1 NCAC) scored 68 points in a setback against DePauw (5-1, 1-0 NCAC), which at the time was the most points the Tigers had allowed in 70 games. Since then, DePauw has given up 68 or more another six times, although Wooster is the only team from the NCAC to accomplish the feat – and the Scots have done it twice.

It didn't appear Wooster was going to be reaching that mark again, though, as it scored just 26 points in the first half, but the Scots got it going after the break. Wooster matched DePauw, 43-43, in second-half scoring, which included a few mini-runs and some impressive shooting from the free throw line (17-for-19).

Early in the second stanza, the Scots went on a quick (1:34) 7-3 scoring run, as Lauren Hancher made a lay-up, Paige Fabry scored on an old-fashioned three-point play, when she drew a foul after a lay-in assisted by Rachel Huxhold, and then Sydney Grier sunk a pair of free throws to make it a 22-point game (55-33).

Wooster cut the deficit to 21 on two occasions, once at 57-36 with a 3-pointer from Aki Shurelds, and again at 59-38 after a drive to the basket from Rachel Collins.

Eventually, DePauw's advantage grew to as much as 30 (71-41), but Wooster responded with its best stretch of the game, a 10-3 scoring run that drew them back within 23 (74-51). First, Danielle Besancon knocked down a jumper on a feed from Sydney Failing, and then Grier took over, as she hit two 3-pointers and made two free throws for eight points over just 2:13 of play.

Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, with highlights including the first tallies of newcomer Erin Fulcher's career, and a free throw from Lindy Howard – her first point of the season.

Wooster had three players reach double-digit scoring, Hancher (13), Failing (11), and Grier (11), while Shurelds scored a career-high nine points on 3-of-4 shooting from downtown. Also noteworthy, every player on the roster scored at least one point in a very balanced effort.

Overall, the Scots shot a season-high 47.4 percent (9-for-19) from behind the arc and added 81.5 percent (22-for-27) from the charity stripe.

DePauw was led by Emma Ondik's 14 points, while Abby Keller helped the Tigers outrebound the Scots, 42-22, with a game-high eight boards.

Wooster will be back in action Friday night when it hosts Oberlin College (3-3, 0-1 NCAC) at 5:30 p.m.