Chritz Leads Seniors, Scots to First NCAC Win

The College of Wooster women's basketball team gave its seniors a day to remember, as they knocked off Kenyon College in North Coast Athletic Conference play 55-49 on Saturday.

Celebrating senior day with their three seniors - Alyssa Chritz, Melissa Burtscher and Alex Walker – the Scots picked up their first NCAC win of the season.

Chritz was a big reason behind it, scoring a game-high 21 points, while collecting six rebounds and five steals. It was the sixth time this year the senior had scored 20 or more points.

The scrappy Burtscher helped the Scots to a decent enough start, scoring all of her eight points in the first half. First-year Ace Sturdivant was the other deciding factor in the game, scoring 17 points with five steals and four assists.

Wooster opened the game by scoring the first seven points until Kenyon got on the board with 5:39 remaining in the quarter. Kenyon matched Wooster with their own 7-0 run toward the end of the first quarter, but an Erica Beaty 3-pointer with six seconds left stopped the run and gave Wooster a 16-15 lead after one.

The Scots struggled in the second quarter, going just 3 of 16 from the field and 0 of 7 from deep. Meanwhile, Kenyon shot 6 of 11, winning the quarter 15-6 and taking a 30-22 lead at halftime. 

Wooster inched their way back into it by taking the third quarter 12-11 and dominating the fourth, 21-8.

Wooster (6-15, 1-9 NCAC) used its full court press to force 29 turnovers in the game, while Wooster themselves committed a season-low nine. The Scots also scored 19 points off Kenyon's miscues.

Chritz and Sturdivant led the Scots in the second half, combining for 29 of Wooster's 33 points.

The tide started to turn in Wooster's favor when first-year Alexis Lovejoy sunk a 3-pointer to begin the fourth. Wooster went on a 7-0 run to tie the game at 41.

Kenyon (3-19, 1-10 NCAC) scored the next four, but Wooster would get a big-time 3-pointer from Sturdivant to tie the game back up at 45.

With the game tied at 47, Burtscher caused a momentum-shifting offensive foul as the Scots would close the final three minutes on an 8-2 run.

Both teams scored 20 points in the paint and scored eight second chance points. The game was tied six times and lead changed hands four times.

Kenyon's Claudia Cooke led the Owls with 15 points and eight rebounds.

The Scots will look to keep its momentum in the final month of the season. They host Oberlin College on Wednesday.