Lincoln Plews
Sports Editor
The women’s basketball team put a cap on a tough season Feb. 21, falling to Kenyon College 71-51 in their final game of the year.
After going 9-16 last year and only losing one senior to graduation, the Scots entered this season hoping to capitalize on a developing young squad to improve their conference standing and earn a spot in the NCAC tournament.
Unfortunately, the Scots struggled to establish a foothold all year long, their last win coming against Geneva College on Nov. 19. Wooster finishes the season with an overall record of 1-24, including 0-16 in conference play.
After a close loss to Allegheny College the preceding Wednesday, the Scots went into Saturday’s game against Kenyon with the hopes of finishing a rough season on a high note.
Wooster fought hard throughout, keeping the Ladies within striking distance and entering the half-time break down by just eight points, 24-32. Unfortunately, Kenyon came out firing after the break and quickly jumped out to a 14-point lead five minutes into the second half.
The Ladies held onto this lead for the remainder of the game, taking home the 71-51 victory, and with it, the Scots’ hope of one final win to cap the season.
Despite the team’s overall struggles, individual players have shone brightly for the Scots this year. Stand-out scorer Lauren Hancher ’16 showed explosive potential, averaging 17.7 points per game on an impressive 43-percent shooting from the floor and 82-percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Hancher also made waves earlier this season by scoring 40 points in a game against Hiram College on Jan. 28, becoming the tenth player in Division III women’s basketball to accomplish such a feat and breaking the school’s single-game scoring record in the process.
Guard Sydney Grier ’16 shot particularly well from behind the arc, making 40 percent of her shots from three-point range while averaging four attempts per game.
As a team, Wooster came second in the conference in free-throw percentage, making an impressive 73 percent of their foul shots.
Looking ahead to next season, the Scots will lose one senior to graduation, Lindy Howard ’15. Howard averaged 1.9 ppg and 1.9 rebounds per game this season on a mostly youth-dominated squad, but the leadership of the team’s only four-year veteran will surely be missed.
The Scots overall record doesn’t accurately reflect their efforts. The Scots suffered a number of close calls this year. Wooster lost six games by five points or less, including two games (Feb. 11 vs. Hiram and Dec. 16 vs. Mount St. Joseph) by just one point.