HIRAM, Ohio - December 4, 2021 – Though the Terriers got off to a hot start, Hiram women's basketball fell to the Oberlin College Yeowomen, 71-47, on Saturday in their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) home opener in Price Gymnasium.
 
Hiram held the Yeowomen to just 21.4 percent shooting in the opening frame, as after some back-and-forth play, the Terriers scored two quick buckets to take an 8-4 lead on Lyndsey Stock's layup with 3:45 left in the quarter.
 
Camille Zinaich pulled Oberlin within two, but Taylor Valaitis knocked down a three to bring Hiram's lead back up to five, before a layup by Alyson Jefferson gave Hiram an 11-8 lead after one.
 
Haley Thompson opened the scoring in the second quarter with a layup, putting Hiram back up five. The Terriers led by six with 6:23 to play in the first half, before the Yeowomen clawed their way back, taking the lead on Gina Lombard's jumper with 4:33 to play.
 
Oberlin extended their lead out to four, but Maddie Rakestraw knocked down a pair of jumpers down the stretch, cutting the Yeowomen's lead down to two, 24-22, at the halftime break.
 
However, as Hiram went cold to start the third, the Yeowomen got hot, shooting 66.7 percent from the field in the third quarter and opening the second half on a 12-2 run to take a 36-24 lead.
 
Down 12, Hiram answered with three points from Alex Lichner and a jumper by Madison Branch to cut Oberlin's lead to just six, 36-30, with 4:10 to play in the third, but a pair of three-pointers by Lombard brought the Yeowomen's lead back out to double-digits.
 
Oberlin would close the third on a 22-0 run, extending their lead out to 24, 54-30, heading to the fourth. The Yeowomen would then keep things rolling, taking their largest lead of the game, 62-34, with 7:57 to play in the fourth, before finishing off the 71-47 victory.
 
Hiram falls to 3-6 (0-2 NCAC) on the year, while Oberlin remains undefeated at 7-0 (2-0 NCAC).
 
Branch led the Terriers with 11 points, while Thompson added six points and eight rebounds. Selena Vargas led the Terriers on the glass with 10 rebounds, while Branch also had a team-high four assists.
 
For the Yeowomen, Lombard led all scorers with 22 points.
 
Hiram next travels to Granville, Ohio for a conference matchup against the Denison Big Red on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.