Late First-Half Run Lifts Hiram Over Scots

WOOSTER, Ohio – A 14-5 Hiram College run to close the first half proved critical for the final result as the Terriers held on to win 80-61 over The College of Wooster women's basketball team on Wednesday night at Timken Gymnasium.

Wooster (4-14, 2-7 North Coast Athletic Conference) trailed 18-17 after the opening period behind eight points from the bench and nine from the starters, including five points from sophomore guard Akwia Tilton, who finished with a team-high 11 points.

The Terriers (9-10, 5-5 NCAC) opened the second period on a 7-0 run before Tilton broke the drought with a streaking layup in the lane to bring the deficit back to six with 6:14 remaining in the half.

From there, Hiram belted out six straight points as part of a larger 14-5 run to go up 39-24 at the break. Notably, the Terriers tacked on eight points in the half's final 1:37, capped off by a buzzer-beating jumper from Tashauna Wright.

Lights-out shooting from the foul line aided Hiram in the third period, as the Terriers gradually extended their lead heading into the fourth period.

Still, in the third, Hiram went 9-for-11 from the line and shot 44 percent from the floor, compared to Wooster's 39 percent clip and 2-for-7 showing from the line.

The Fighting Scots turned it on offensively in the fourth, outscoring Hiram 20-15 while holding the Terriers to 7-of-19 shooting in the final stanza. First-year Sarah Marion tied her season-best total on the night with 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting, with all 10 points coming in the fourth period. 

The first-year guard also pulled down four rebounds to go along with season-high totals in steals (3) and blocks (2).

On the day, Hiram outrebounded Wooster 52-46, with the Terriers logging 26 offensive and defensive boards. Additionally, second-chance points created a big swing for the visitors as Hiram outscored Wooster 26-13 on second-chance opportunities.

First-year Sarah Rapacz continued her impressive blocking numbers with a co-season-high three rejections on the night while logging a team-high eight boards. Rapacz currently ranks second in the NCAC in blocks per game (1.3).

Regarding conference standings, Wooster and Allegheny College (5-12, 2-7 NCAC) are currently tied for seventh-place, with Wooster holding the tiebreaker as of now after defeating the Gators 62-60 earlier in the month at Meadville, Pa. The top eight teams advance to the NCAC Tournament.

Up next, Wooster travels to No. 9 DePauw University (18-1, 10-0 NCAC) for a 2 p.m. tipoff at Neil Fieldhouse inside the Lilly Center at Greencastle, Ind.