WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster outscored Denison University 22-8 the final 10 minutes of the first half to take a 17-point lead and then added a similar stretch to start the second, this time 28-8, as the Fighting Scots coasted from there to an 81-51 North Coast Athletic Conference victory on Saturday night at Timken Gymnasium.
Wooster (6-0, 2-0 NCAC), ranked No. 4 by D3hoops.com, used lock-down defense to pull away, with Denison (4-3, 1-1 NCAC) making just two field goals out of 15 attempts the last 10 minutes of the opening half. During the same stretch, the Fighting Scots increased their offensive efficiency, going from a 7-for-21 start from the floor to 8-for-13, all of which resulted in turning a 16-13 lead into 38-21.
That theme continued the opening six minutes of the second half. Wooster hit 10-of-13 field goals, including 4-of-4 3-pointers with just one turnover mixed in, and the Big Red were unable to keep up as they made 3-of-9 and fell behind by 37 (66-29).
The Scots' starters sat out the last nine minutes and they eventually secured a 30-point triumph.
Statistically, Wooster finished just under 50 percent from the field (.484; 30-for-62) and limited its opposition under 40 percent for the fifth time this season. Denison completed the evening at .321 (17-for-53) and the Scots also owned a 41-33 rebounding advantage.
Among Wooster's top performances was Justin Hallowell, who notched the second double-double of his career with 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. The 12 boards matched a career high, and he also contributed three assists and two blocked shots.
Nathan Balch and Ian Franks shared game scoring honors with 14 points apiece, and Franks distributed five assists to lead all players in that category. Also of note, Matt Fegan chipped in an even dozen markers in the scorebook, including 2-of-2 shooting on 3-balls, and Bryan Wickliffe registered a career-high four steals to go with eight rebounds, six points, and two blocks.
The Big Red's top scorer was Dimonde Hale with 13 points.
The Scots will hit the road for their next three games, starting with a trip Wednesday to conference foe Allegheny College (3-4, 1-1 NCAC).