Scots Close Out Home Schedule This Week With Hiram, Witt

For The Week Of:
February 11, 2008

Written by Dain McKee
330-287-3000 ext. 4671
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Jennifer Copeland

The College of Wooster, which has lost five-straight games to slip into seventh-place in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings, looks to right the ship this week when it closes out its 2007-08 home schedule. Four of the Fighting Scots’ six wins have come at Timken Gymnasium and they look to add to that total on Wednesday, Feb. 13, when they welcome in last-place Hiram College (3-17, 1-11 NCAC) for a 7:30 p.m. tip. Wooster will be aiming for a season sweep of Hiram for the second year in a row, having previously edged the Terriers 66-63 on Jan. 19. Also noteworthy, it will be a Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association “Think Pink” game, as all fans are encouraged to wear pink in an attempt to raise awareness for breast cancer. This Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16, rival Wittenberg University (11-9, 10-3 NCAC), which enters the week in a tie for second in the conference, makes its annual visit to Wooster. The Tigers’ defense was the difference in Springfield, Ohio, two weeks ago (Feb. 2), as the Scots committed a season-high 32 turnovers during a 67-35 setback.

Last Week: Wooster dropped all three of its contests, falling to 6-15 and 3-9 in the NCAC.

On Feb. 5, the Scots were unable to overcome a slow start at Ohio Wesleyan University, as the Battling Bishops bolted out to a 20-2 lead and went on to a 91-57 victory during NCAC action. Ohio Wesleyan was red-hot early on, scoring on eight of its first 11 possessions, which included making 4-of-5 3-pointers, to take the aforementioned 18-point lead. Following a second timeout, Wooster settled down, behind the play of Meredith Wilson (Washington Ct. House, Ohio / Miami Trace). With Wilson scoring 12 first-half points, the Scots cut their deficit down to 10 twice (35-25 and 38-28), however, the Bishops went on a crucial 9-0 run to go into the break up 47-28 and never looked back during the second. Wilson ended up with a team-leading 19 points, including 4-of-9 3-point shooting, and Kaitlin Krister (Kent, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) contributed 15 points and a squad-high six rebounds in the loss.

On Feb. 8, Oberlin College’s Syrea Thomas banked in a 3-pointer with just :03 remaining to lift her squad past Wooster 64-63 in an NCAC match-up at Oberlin, Ohio. It was a heartbreaker for the Scots, as they led for nearly the entire second half, including 52-42 right before the midway point and by four (63-59) with just under :30 to go. Individually, Krister led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds, while Taylor Keegan (Mohrsville, Pa. / Holy Name) finished up with 10 markers in the scoring column. Wooster received a boost from Jennifer Copeland (Stow, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit), who added a season-high 10 points, as well as from Kelly Aughenbaugh (Wooster, Ohio / Wooster), who had four steals in her first career start.

On Feb. 9, Kenyon College hit a flurry of 3-pointers to take an 18-8 lead, but the Scots stayed within striking distance for most of the remainder of the NCAC affair before the visiting Ladies eventually secured a 66-46 win. Kenyon connected on 4-of-5 3-pointers for the 10-point advantage, and then went on to a 14-point halftime cushion (34-20). Wooster played an even second half for the most part, at one point whittling a 19-point deficit (50-31) down to 12 and then attempting a 3-pointer that would have made it a nine-point game, however, that shot didn’t fall and the Ladies responded with a 9-2 run to put the game away around the four-minute mark (59-40). Wilson was the Scots’ lone player to reach double figures, as she scored 11 points, all in the second half. She also shared team rebounding honors with Keegan, as they had five apiece, and Krister produced three assists.