OBERLIN, Ohio - January 11, 2022 – Despite 23 points from Madison Branch, her second 20-plus point performance of the season, Hiram women's basketball fell to the Oberlin College Yeowomen, 86-59, on Tuesday at Philips Gymnasium.
 
An and-one by Cici Bright got the Terriers on the board in the first quarter, but a pair of triples by Gina Lombard and Sammy Spanier gave the Yeowomen a 14-7 lead midway through the period, and an 11-2 run to end the quarter gave Oberlin a 25-9 lead after one.
 
The Yeowomen extended their lead out to as many as 21, 36-15, with 5:58 remaining in the second quarter, before the Terriers made their run.
 
Outscoring Oberlin, 19-15 in the period, Hiram went on an 11-0 run over the next three minutes, tipped off by a jumper by Kelsie Gaiser and capped off by Haley Thompson's two free throws to cut the Yeowomen lead down to 10, 36-26, with 2:53 left in the first half.
 
Camille Zinaich's jumper brought the Yeowomen lead back out to 12, before Selena Vargas again made it a 10-point game with a layup with 2:08 to play in the first half.
 
But Bryana Woodard again made it a 12-point lead for Oberlin with 1:06 left in the quarter, and the Terriers headed into the half down 40-28.
 
Oberlin then went on an 8-0 run to start the third, opening up a 20-point, 48-28 lead, before Branch scored the first two points of the second half for the Terriers with a pair of free throws.
 
Hiram and Oberlin traded buckets the rest of the third, before a pair of jumpers by Branch and Cici Bright and cut the Yeowomen lead down to 16, 59-43, heading to the fourth.
 
However, with a 9-0 run to start the fourth, Oberlin brought their lead out to 25, their largest lead of the game so far. The Yeowomen would take their largest lead of the game later on in the fourth, outscoring the Terriers 27-16 in the final frame to finish off the 86-59 victory.
 
With the loss, Hiram drops to 3-10 (0-6 NCAC) on the year, while the Yeowomen move to 10-1 (4-1 NCAC).
 
Branch led the Terriers with 23 points in the loss, while Vargas added nine points and a team-high nine rebounds and three steals.
 
Hiram next hosts the Kenyon College Ladies on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. inside Price Gymnasium.