Collins' Career Day Helps Vault Wooster to Win in Season Opener

WOOSTER, Ohio – Behind a career-high 20 points from junior guard Rachel Collins, The College of Wooster women's basketball team had a strong start to its season, turning in a 79-61 win over Franciscan University of Steubenville in Saturday afternoon's opener at Timken Gymnasium.

Collins was one of three Fighting Scots in double figures, as junior guard Danielle Besancon added a career-high 12 points and first-year Anna Gibbs scored 10 in her collegiate debut.

The game marked the first of the Lisa Panepento era of Wooster basketball. The 1987 alumna became the first head coach in program history to win her Scots' debut.

Wooster broke the game open in the second period, racing out to a 10-0 run at the start of the stanza to make the score 27-15. The Scots were led by junior forward Natalie Coschigano and Gibbs on the run with four points from each. Wooster pushed its lead back to double figures just before the half on first-year Shar Hankerson's jumper with 20 seconds remaining.

The Scots opened up an 18-point lead with 5:38 left in the third period, behind a 7-0 swing. Their long-range shooting was on display with 3-pointers from Collins and Besancon during the stanza. For the game, Wooster went 8-for-20 from behind the arc, including 6-for-12 in the second half.

Wooster pushed its lead to 20 with 4:54 remaining in the fourth period off of a trifecta from Collins. The junior connected again from outside with :33 on the clock to again push Wooster's lead back to 20.

Also of note, Wooster dominated defensively, forcing 23 turnovers, compared to 15 on the offensive end. Key to the win was its ability to turn Franciscan mistakes into points, as 29 of the Scots' 79 points were off of turnovers. Collins also led the way on the defensive end with five steals and the 5-5 guard even had a blocked shot. Wooster outrebounded Franciscan 39-33 and was led by sophomore forward Katie Mandych's seven.

The win marked the third time in the last four years the Scots have won their season lid-lifter.

Wooster remains at home to take on Geneva College at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.