DePauw women stay undefeated in NCAC with win

Four Tigers scored in double figures as ninth-ranked DePauw never trailed on the way to a 77-48 North Coast Athletic Conference win over visiting Wooster.

DePauw moved to 19-1 overall and 11-0 in the NCAC, while the Fighting Scots dropped to 4-15 overall and 2-8 in the NCAC.

The Tigers kept Wooster off the scoreboard for the opening five minutes and built a 9-0 lead on buckets from Claire Keefe, Melinda Franke and Sydney Kopp before Kopp buried a 3-pointer.

DePauw led 19-11 after the first and 34-19 at the halftime intermission.

Six straight points by Emily Budde to start the second half extended the lead to 40-19 and the margin slipped below 20 points just once the rest of the way.

Keefe and Kopp each scored 16, while Budde and Maya Howard each added 10. Kylie Orr scored 16 off the bench for Wooster.

DePauw held a 36-28 edge on the boards as Franke and Kopp each grabbed six. Orr and Maria Janasko each hauled down four for the Fighting Scots. Howard and Budde each dished out four assists and Keefe had four of the Tigers’ 15 steals.

The Tigers shot 43.5 percent from the field to Wooster’s 37.8 percent and DePauw committed just 13 turnovers to the Fighting Scots’ 31 for a 36-9 edge in points off of turnovers.

Prior to the game, DePauw recognized head coach Kris Huffman for her 25 seasons of coaching and announced the start of the Kris Huffman Endowed Fund for Women’s Basketball which has received over $107,000 to date.

DePauw returns to action on Friday with a 7 p.m. game at Hiram.

• Wooster 65, DePauw 57 (men) — Wooster took the season series against DePauw on Saturday with a 65-57 win.

The Tigers kept the game closer than their first meeting when they lost 83-63 in Neal Fieldhouse. However, they drop their fourth straight and fall to 7-12 overall and 3-9 in NCAC play, while Wooster improves to 15-4 and 9-3.

Spencer Williams led all scorers with 20 points and was the only Fighting Scot to reach double figures. DePauw had three score in double figures with Josh Hall (13), David Vogel (12) and Jack VandeMerkt (11).

DePauw tied it 27-27 with 1:44 remaining in the first half but Wooster took a 32-27 lead at halftime. VandeMerkt’s and-one conversion early in the second half gave DePauw its only second half lead at 35-34.

The lead was wiped away on Wooster’s next possession. DePauw kept the game within single digits for the remainder of the game but could never get back over that hump.

Wooster shot 46 percent from the floor but struggled from long range, finishing at 18 percent (3-of-17). DePauw shot 38 percent (21-of-56) from the floor, 41 percent (9-of-22) from range and was 6-of-6 from the foul line.

Wooster outscored DePauw 40-16 in the paint, 6-0 in fast break points and 10-7 in second chance points. Both benches scored 14 and Wooster outrebounded DePauw 37-34.

DePauw returns home Friday to face Allegheny.