Christina Vukovich

The College of Wooster women's basketball team hung with national powerhouse DePauw University in the second half, but a big first-half output from the hosts propelled the Tigers to a 75-46 North Coast Athletic Conference win on Saturday afternoon inside the Neal Fieldhouse at Greencastle, Ind.

Wooster (5-13, 1-8 NCAC) faired much better defensively in the second half, holding DePauw (13-5, 7-2 NCAC) to 26 points over the final 20 minutes of play. The 26 points tied for the second-fewest scored by DePauw in the second half of a game this season. In fact, the Fighting Scots had a higher field-goal percentage than the Tigers – .370 (10-for-27) to .355 (11-for-31) – over the final two periods.

First-year Shar Hankerson played a key role in Wooster's second-half spark. The forward scored all six of her points in the third period in a span of just over two minutes. Hankerson also had a big second half in the first meeting between these two teams this season, with all 10 of her points in the Dec. 5 meeting coming over the final two periods of play.

Sophomore Aki Shurelds provided an offensive spark off of the bench in the second period. The guard knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to give her three for the game, having previously sank one in the first period. Shurelds finished with a team-high nine points on the afternoon.

First-year Christina Vukovich had a notable game as well off of the bench. Offensively, she chipped in a season-high six points, and the forward added eight rebounds, including six on the defensive end of the floor. Two of Vukovich's top-three rebounding games this season have come against DePauw, having collected six back in the teams' first meeting.

Also of note, Wooster only turned the ball over 12 times, the third time in the last four games the Scots have turned it over a dozen times or fewer.

DePauw was paced by Emily Budde's 18 points, while Morgan Skordos added 11 off of the bench.

Next, Wooster returns home for a 6 p.m. tilt with Hiram College (10-8, 4-5 NCAC) on Wednesday.