After starting the season 3-9, it looked as if the womenís basketball team was off to another inauspicious start. However, after winning four of its last five, the teamís season is showing glimpses of promise.
With a team-high of 17 points that helped Wooster (7-10, 4-4 NCAC) defeat Earlham College† (2-13, 1-5 NCAC) 67-57 last Saturday, Kym Wenz í10 moved into second place of the womenís basketball teamís all-time scoring list.† Last week Wenz became Woosterís all-time three-point shooter and moved into the second-place position with another three-point shot.
It was a series of three-point baskets by Wenz that began a 20-3 Wooster run, during which Wenz exceeded Carly Loehrkeís (2003-07) 1,338 career points.† With 17 points in the game, Wenzís career total now stands at 1,344 points, moving her up to second on the all-time list.
Taylor Keegan í11 gave the Scots their largest lead of the game of 21 points with another three-pointer with 10:47 remaining in the game, but it was diminished by a trio of three-point baskets by Earlhamís Michelle Miranda, Katy Buda and Princess Darnell with just under six minutes.
Earlham scored another five unanswered points to bring them within 61-52, but Keegan and Kaitlin Krister í10 sealed the win by giving the Scots a 16-point lead with three consecutive baskets.
Although the Scots had a shaky start to the game with Earlhamís† quick 9-0 start, Wooster led a 23-5 run during which Keegan scored her first three-point ball of the night to bring Wooster ahead 23-14.† Throughout the game Earlham went scored 11 of 34 attempts from behind the arc, while the Scots made 50 percent of their outside shots.
In this game the Scots shot 47 percent from the field, their second-highest total of the season.† Krister added 15 points and three blocks, while Jess Wingen í13 added eight rebounds and six points.† Keshia Butler í12 scored five points and contributed five assists, as well as getting two steals.
Earlhamís leaders were Nikki Darrett with 17 points and Miranda and Buda with 12 each, all on threes.
The Scots defeated Hiram College in a close win earlier in the week, thanks to the last-minute heroics by Wingen.† In the last few sequences of the game, as the Scots led 50-48, Wingen blocked a shot that could have tied the game, rebounded the ball and was sent to the free-throw line where she converted on two baskets to seal a 52-48 win for the Scots.
The Terriers (2-12, 1-4 NCAC) kept the score close throughout the game, despite only having an advantage over the Scots for 59 seconds in the entire game. Hiramís Amy Geisman stole a Wooster ball that led to a basket by Jess Cowan to tie the score 44-44 with 4:48 remaining.
Butler responded with a lay up and Wenz converted several free throws to take a lead of 48-44.† Two minutes later, Hiram came within two (50-48) with one minute on the clock.
Hiram held possession of the ball and looked to either tie the game or win it outright in the last few seconds when Wingen blocked a shot with 12 seconds left.† With Wingenís two points at the free throw line, she totaled eight points for the night, eight rebounds and four blocks.† Krister tied her career-high of 15 rebounds and tallied six points, two blocks and two steals.† Wenz held the team-high with 14 points and Colleen Goodwillie í10 added 11, three of them from behind the paint.
The Scots are off this weekend before facing Hiram College on Wednesday. With a win over the Terriers, the Scots would move into third place and move right into the thick of the NCAC race.