Wooster's Strong Start Doesn't Carry Over to Second Half Against Witt

The College of Wooster was right there with rival Wittenberg University early on, but the Tigers surged ahead in the second half to defeat the Fighting Scots, 81-46, in a North Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball tilt at Springfield, Ohio.

The Scots (1-22, 0-14) have been competitive lately, with three consecutive single-digit losses entering today, and this game had the makings of another tight one. Wooster shot 50 percent from the field (7-of-14) on its way to tying the game at 16-16 midway through the first half, and later trailed by just two, 22-20, with 7:53 remaining in the stanza.

At that juncture, Wittenberg (18-6 10-4 NCAC) strung together a 16-2 scoring run to build a 38-22 cushion. Hannah Kiser scored four points during a 5-0 Wooster run to close out the half which made it a more manageable 11-point game (38-27) at the break.

With Wooster back to within striking distance, Wittenberg's defense clamped down, as it forced the Scots into 0-for-9 shooting and five turnovers over a 7:39-span, which saw the Tigers take a commanding 58-27 advantage. That was all the hosts needed to coast to victory.

Individually, Lauren Hancher scored a team-high 18 points on 8-of-16 shooting, while Rachel Collins joined her in double-figures with 12 points, and tied career-highs in rebounds (9) and assists (5). Kiser added eight markers in the scorebook and three boards.

Wittenberg got a boost from Darbie Zirkle, who totaled 24 points and eight steals.

Next, Wooster visits Allegheny College (13-10, 6-8 NCAC) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.