WOOSTER, OH – Abby Guiher sank a pair of clutch free throws with four seconds remaining on the clock, as the Houghton Highlanders pulled out a hard-fought defensive victory to open the Nan Nichols Classic on Friday night, defeating the host Wooster Scots, 46-42.
After taking a one-point lead into the half, 21-20, the Highlanders fell behind by as many as six points with just over four minutes remaining in the third quarter. But a 10-point Houghton run over the next three minutes put the Highlanders back in the driver's seat heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Scots quickly battled back and with 8:34 remaining in the game, Ella Dean drained a three-pointer to put Wooster up by a point. Houghton's
Hannah Farley and
Tabitha DeVries quickly answered with buckets of their own, and the Highlanders would lead the rest of the way.
VITALS
Score: Houghton – 46 | Wooster – 42
Records: Houghton: 2-0 | Wooster: 0-1
Venue: Timken Gymnasium, The College of Wooster | Attendance: 200
NOTABLE STATS
>> Despite shooting only 27 percent from the floor, and only 1-for-29 (3.4 percent) from long range, the Highlanders forced 26 turnovers, eight more than they committed.
>> Farley finished with a team-high 12 points, while DeVries added nine points, three steals and two blocks.
>> Carlee Milller dished out a game-high six assists.
>> Ella Biondi brought home a double-double for the Scots, posting game-highs in points (19) and rebounds (16).
COACH'S CORNER
"Tonight was not pretty by any stretch [of the imagination], but what defines good teams is being able to find a way to win in any type of game. This group never gave up and they were able to figure it out. That's a very proud moment to see a team fight like that.
"We are working on short rest tomorrow against another tough opponent. We are excited for another opportunity to get better tomorrow." – Head Coach
Phil Pellegrino
UP NEXT
The Highlanders return to Timken Gymnasium tomorrow afternoon for a matchup with the Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks at 1:00 p.m.
