Rachel Collins

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.