DePauw Women's Basketball team beats Wooster in NCAC opener

DePauw University women's basketball coach Kris Huffman is presented with the 500 win basketball by DePauw AD Stevie Baker-Watson to commemorate the long and successful career that Huffman has been a part of. Her team took a pounding to Wooster and notched the win 92-69 on Saturday at home to keep the Huffman winning percentage going up. (Banner Graphic/JAY LOCKETT)

Behind 50 percent shooting and a plus-20 rebound margin, DePauw improved to 5-1 with a 92-69 win over visiting Wooster in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both schools on Saturday. Wooster dropped to 1-5.

The Tigers, ranked 15th in the latest coaches' poll and 17th by D3hoops.com, got out to a quick 19-6 lead in the opening seven minutes before Wooster closed it back to single digits on Aki Shurelds' three with 10:20 left made it 24-15.

DePauw responded with three-pointers from Jenna Stoner and Emily Budde to push the margin back to 15 and it stayed in double digits the rest of the way. The Tigers scored the final eight points of the first half to take a 49-26 advantage to the intermission.

The Tigers' largest lead was 30 at 69-39 and Wooster was as close as 20 in the closing minutes.

Emma Ondik paced four DePauw double-digit scorers with 14, while Savannah Trees, Stoner and Taylor Howard each followed with 13. Howard and Stoner each notched career highs in the win and Trees led the way with four assists.

Lauren Hancher led Wooster with 13 points, while Sydney Grier and Sydney Failing each chipped in 11.

DePauw shot 50 percent (33-66) from the field to Wooster's 43.2 percent (19-44) and the Tigers connected on 46.7 percent (7-15) from beyond the arc to the Fighting Scots' 47.4 percent (9-19).

The Tigers held a 42-22 rebounding edge which led to a 17-2 advantage in second-chance points. Abby Keller led DePauw with eight boards, while Hancher hauled down four for the Scots. DePauw committed just 10 turnover to Wooster's 18 for a 27-11 edge in points off of turnovers.