Megan McGinley
Staff Writer
Wooster women’s basketball split its games this weekend with a win over Oberlin College (68-54) and a loss to Kenyon College (70-44) making the Scots’ record 7-14 overall and 2-10 in the NCAC.
The Scots hosted the Yeowomen of Oberlin Friday evening at Timken Gymnasium. Going into the game, the Scots had been struggling with a nine-game losing streak, but this conference matchup brought it to an end. The Scots came out strong, taking a 7-0 lead within the first 90 seconds. The Yeowomen would not be easily taken, however. They tied the score at 9-9 with 13:25 left to play in the first half. The two teams traded shots for the time remaining, but the Scots were able to pick up momentum and gain a narrow lead of 26-21 by the end of the first half.
The Scots maintained their lead for the entirety of the second half. The Yeowomen came close to catching them, but Suvi Puripattarapan ’14 and Jessica Wingen ’13 kept the Scots ahead with 21 points between them in the half. Maura Hall ’14 and Karley Walker ’14 also added offensive power to the game with 11 and 10 points respectively. The Scots also showed strength in their free throws, shooting 18-21 (85.7 percent). The win allowed the Scots to break their losing streak and gain confidence going into their next game at Kenyon.
On Saturday, the Scots traveled to Gambier, Ohio to take on the Ladies in an NCAC matchup. The Scots came out with the first basket of the game, but the Ladies responded quickly and took the lead. The score was close for the first five minutes of the half, being tied several times. The Ladies, however, caught their stride and never looked back. They attacked the Scots’ basket with a flurry of shots and eventually ended the first half with a 38-22 lead.
The second half was more of the same with the Kenyon Ladies continually increasing their lead. The Scots scored a total of 22 points in the half, 11 coming from free throws, while the Ladies powered ahead with 32 points.
Overall, the Scots remained strong in their free throws, sinking 17 of 20 (85 percent). Hall, Wingen and Puripattarapan each had a strong game, scoring 27 points between them, but this offensive power was not enough to give them the win. The Scot’s downfall came from turnovers. They lost possession of the ball 28 times throughout the game and the Ladies took advantage, scoring 29 off of turnovers.
The Scots will be looking for some positive energy during their upcoming home games. On Wednesday, they will host Ohio Wesleyan University at 6 p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 9 they will take on rival Wittenberg University at 2 p.m. Both are conference games and will be held in Timken Gymnasium.