Scots Back to NCAC Action With Kenyon, Oberlin

Kym Wenz

After taking on four consecutive non-league foes, The College of Wooster women’s hoops team resumes North Coast Athletic Conference play this week with two key match-ups. First, the Fighting Scots will tangle with Kenyon College (3-8, 0-2 NCAC), which is off to an uncharacteristic start this season after back-to-back 20-win campaigns, on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Kenyon, last year’s NCAC Tournament runner-up, holds a 27-23 advantage all-time over Wooster, including two triumphs during 2005-06 (61-56 in Gambier and 59-30 in Wooster). On Saturday, Jan. 6, the Scots travel to Oberlin College (4-5, 0-2 NCAC) for another 7:30 p.m. tip. Oberlin’s games this weekend will mark its first action since Dec. 11. Saturday’s contest will be the 53rd meeting between the teams, with Wooster ahead by a commanding 40-12 margin. Last year, they split the season series, as the Scots lost at home 63-48 but bounced back to prevail 66-60 at Oberlin.

    Last Week: Wooster split a pair of games during a trip to Michigan between Christmas and New Year’s, moving its record to 5-5 overall.
    On Dec. 29, host Olivet College jumped out to a quick 6-0 start and never trailed, building as much as a 24-point first half lead en route to a 75-43 decision over the Scots. Wooster was down 38-15 at halftime and never got any closer than that in the second. For the game, the Scots, who were without the services of starting point guard Winnie Adrien (Selden, N.Y. / Blair Academy – N.J.), connected on only 29 percent of their shots from the floor (16-of-54), including 2-of-20 on 3-pointers (.100), and lost the rebounding battle 39-31. Individually, freshman Kym Wenz (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) led Wooster with seven points and senior Carly Loehrke (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Mattawan) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
    On Dec. 30, the visiting Scots found themselves trailing 31-23 at the half to Kalamazoo College, but turned the tables, pouring in 52 second-half points on .615 field-goal shooting (16-of-26) to top the Hornets 75-63 in their final contest of 2006. Overall, Wooster shot at a 47 percent clip from the floor (24-of-51), highlighted by a sizzling 6-of-10 (.600) from 3-point range, and also held a 36-24 advantage on the boards while forcing Kalamazoo into 25 turnovers. Wenz paved the way for the Scots again, scoring a career-high 22 points, to go with five rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Beth Besancon Sidle (Wooster, Ohio / Smithville) poured in a season-high 21 points, including three bombs from 3-point land, and also added five rebounds and three steals, while Maria Gonzalez (Millersburg, Ohio / West Holmes) hauled in a team-high seven boards and scored nine points.