Kira Rivera (So.)

by Erik Kojola '09

February 2, 2007 -- The Oberlin College women’s basketball team got within eight points late in the first half against Denison, but was unable to contain the high scoring Big Red as the Yeowomen lost 66-82. Oberlin’s record drops to 5-15 (1-11), while Denison remains undefeated in the North Coast Athletic Conference at 12-0 (18-3 overall).

Denison started the game out strong and was able to prevent an Oberlin comeback. Senior Jessie Oram and junior Alyssa Clark both netted 17 points, but it was not quite enough to overcome the balanced scoring of the Big Red. Denison benefited from 26 points off the bench, while Oberlin only produced 11.

The first half opened with Denison jumping out to a 23-4 lead after a 12-point run with 11:02 left in the half. Oberlin responded and got to within eight after a lay-up by Clark with 6:13 left until the break. The Yeowomen wouldn’t get any closer and would go into the half down 27-41. The hosts continued to battle in the second half and fought back from a 32-point deficit to get within 15 with 4:36 left in the game.

Oberlin shot well from the field, making 27 of 65 attempts from the floor and 7 of 10 shots from the foul line. Denison shot 27 for 60 from the field and 17 of 22 from the charity stripe. The Big Red were accurate from behind the arc tallying 11 treys on the night, while Oberlin only made 5 of 13. Denison benefited from a strong performance from its bench, multiple free-throw attempts, and impressive passing that lead to 15 assists.

Clark had three assists, seven rebounds and four steals to go along with her 17 points, while sophomore Kira Rivera contributed nine points and first-year Monica Zell had eight on a pair of triples. Junior Roneisha Kinney had a game-high 11 rebounds.

Denison was paced by senior Kristen Sheffield, who led all scorers with 18 points, including five three-pointers. Sophomore Ellen O’Brien added 15 points and seven assists, while senior Tammy Hoch scored 12.

"Overall, I'm really proud of how we bounced back and got ourselves back into the game," Head Coach Christa Champion said. "Denison is a talented, veteran team, and they really showed it tonight with their excellent play. Our young players showed a lot of heart and pride, though, and that bodes well for the future."

The Yeowomen will look to bounce back from the loss quickly as they continue conference play at Kenyon College tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.

Box Score