Wooster (25-1), the top seed for the NCAC tourney after winning the regular season championship (15-1), will host the semifinals and finals this Friday and Saturday (Feb. 25-26).
On Tuesday, the Fighting Scots, ranked No. 1 for the second week this season in the D3hoops.com national poll, used a balanced offense and stifling defense to take a 48-20 halftime lead. During the opening half, which included a 27-6 run, nine Wooster players scored while making 18-for-26 field goals (.692), holding Kenyon to .364 rate from the floor (8-for-22), and outrebounding the Lords 20-3.
Things didn’t go any better for Kenyon (5-21) in the second stanza, as the Scots’ lead never dipped below 26 (51-25). Wooster led by as many as 44 (78-34).
James Cooper was perfect from the field, including four 3-pointers, as the freshman guard led all scorers with 16 points in just 17 minutes. Cooper’s four 3-pointers were part of a near-record-breaking performance from the Scots, as they connected on 15 from beyond the arc – two shy of the school record.
Matt Schlingman came up short in his bid for 1,000 career points, falling just four shy with a 13-point effort, while Andy Van Horn and Tom Port contributed 12 and 11 points, respectively. All of Van Horn’s points came via 3-pointers.
Wooster’s other leaders were Blake Mealer with seven boards and Kyle Witucky with seven assists.
Arlen Galloway and Chris Yorlano scored 10 points apiece in a losing effort.
Overall, the Scots shot better than 60 percent from the field (34-for-55), limited the Lords to .365 (19-for-52), and turned in a 39-16 rebounding advantage.
The NCAC Tournament semifinals will tip off at Timken Gym this Friday at 5:30 p.m., with third-seeded Wabash College (14-12) taking on the No. 2 seed, Wittenberg University (23-3). Thirty minutes following the conclusion of that one, or at 7:45 p.m., fifth-seeded Earlham College (12-14) will play the host Scots.
The two winners will play Saturday at 7 p.m., for the right to earn the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA Div. III Tournament.