Hancher's Strong Start, Grier's Third Period 3-Pointers Spark Wooster in Conference Road Triumph

Senior Lauren Hancher scored a game-high 20 points, and climbed to fifth on the program's all-time scoring list, as The College of Wooster women's basketball team won another close thriller with its 52-50 victory over host Oberlin College on Wednesday evening at the Philips Gym in Oberlin, Ohio.

Oberlin started strong with a quick layup from Tyler Parlor, followed by a 3-pointer from Caroline Hamilton, accounting for five points in the game's first minute.

Hancher continued her recent string of strong starts with 10 straight points for Wooster (5-3, 1-1 North Coast Athletic Conference) as part of a 12-0 run to give Wooster a seven-point cushion with 5:19 remaining in the opening period. Overall, it marked the third straight contest with at least eight first period points from the dual-sport standout.

Oberlin's (5-5, 0-2 NCAC) Abby Andrews chipped in four straight points of her own in the second period to swing the lead back to the Yeowomen at 17-16 with 6:29 left in the stanza. Wooster junior Danielle Besancon responded with a layup to put Wooster up 18-17, prior to Oberlin closing the half with a 7-2 stretch to take a 24-20 lead.

Senior Sydney Grier jump-started Wooster in the third period with back-to-back 3-pointers, the latter of which tied the game at 26 with 8:12 left in the frame. Hancher followed with a layup to cap the 8-0 run, putting Wooster up for good at 28-26 with 6:06 left in the session.

First-year Anna Gibbs continued Wooster's surge, extending the lead to six at 33-27 with 3:02 left in the frame, scoring five straight points, highlighted by a pair of fast break layups.

The Yeowomen's Lindsey Bernhardt cut Wooster's lead to one at 38-37 with 8:56 left in the fourth period, but the Fighting Scots answered right back with a 7-0 run.

Hancher highlighted the spurt with a layup in the paint to surpass LaSonya Crawl (1,093 points, 1989-93) for fifth on the program's all-time scoring list.

Bernhardt twice cut Wooster's lead down to a pair, first at 45-43 with 6:56 remaining, and then again at 47-45 with 5:34 remaining. Wooster countered right back, first with a jumper from Hancher, and later with one from first-year Shar Hankerson to push the lead back to two possessions each time.

Gibbs joined Hancher in double-figures with 13 points. Hancher and first-year Christina Vukovich led the way in the rebounding department, combining for 22.

Oberlin was led by Parlor's double-double (13 rebounds, 12 points), while Olivia Canning had a big game with 11 points and six blocked shots.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well on the night as the Scots shot 29.3 percent from the field, while the Yeowomen connected at a rate of .250 (19-for-76).

Wooster is idle until next week Friday, Dec. 18, when the Scots host Bluffton University (6-0) at 7:30 p.m.