Hancher’s Career-High 30 Not Enough in Setback to Oberlin

Lauren Hancher (30 points) and Christina Marquette (33 points) were both dominant Wednesday evening, but in the end, it was Oberlin College that came away with the win, 89-67, over The College of Wooster in a high-scoring North Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball game at Oberlin, Ohio.

It marked a new career-high for Hancher, as she became just the sixth Fighting Scot to reach the 30-point mark, and the first since All-American Kym Wenz in 2010. Hancher, who recorded 29 in a game last season, scored her 30 on 12-of-22 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 at the free throw line. She also tied a career-high with eight rebounds.

Meanwhile, Oberlin's Marquette, the reigning NCAC Player of the Week, responded with 33 points, the second-most of her career (35), to help the Yeowomen fend off an impressive comeback bid from the Scots.

Wooster (1-14, 0-6 NCAC) was behind by 14 points with about three minutes remaining in the first half, but a 10-2 scoring run, highlighted by eight points from Hancher, pulled the Scots within six (36-30) at the break.

Oberlin (8-7, 4-2 NCAC) pushed its advantage back up to eight (38-30) at the start of the second stanza, which prompted Wooster to become the aggressor once again. This time, the Scots rattled off a 10-0 scoring run, as Sydney Grier and Rachel Collins drained back-to-back 3-pointers, and then Hancher made a jumper from the elbow and a lay-up, which gave Wooster its first lead (40-38) since early in the first half.

Paige Fabry put the Scots in front 42-40 when she backed down her defender for a bucket in the paint, and then earned her team another lead at 44-43 with a pair of free throws. That was the last time Wooster was ahead, though, as Oberlin produced a 14-0 scoring run, which included 10 points from Marquette, to put the Scots away for good.

Overall, Wooster made 41.5 percent (27-of-65) of its shots from the field – its third-highest rate in a game this season. The Scots also turned the ball over just nine times, which is their best effort in that category in 28 games.

Collins, making her fourth-consecutive start, scored nine points with two assists and two steals, while Fabry added a career-high eight points on 3-of-6 shooting with three rebounds. Rachel Huxhold chipped in six points and three assists to round out the statistical leaders.

Oberlin, which shot 52.4 percent (33-of-63) from the field and a perfect 16-for-16 at the free throw line, also got a 20-point game from Lindsey Bernhardt.

Wooster will begin a three-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts Kenyon College (4-10, 2-4 NCAC) at 2 p.m.