The College of Wooster women's basketball team showed they could go toe-to-toe with one of the conference's best on Wednesday in a 74-63 loss to ninth-ranked John Carroll University.
 
The Scots disrupted John Carroll's leading scorer as Ava Ryncarz, who is third in the conference at 14.7 points per game, had an off night, scoring eight points on 2-of-13 shooting. Yet, Ryncarz received solid production from teammates Graci Semptimphelter and Carly Perusek, who picked up the slack, scoring 20 and 18, respectively.
 
Meanwhile, the North Coast Athletic Conference's leading scorer at 16.7 points per game, Mackenzie Riccitelli scored a game-high 22 points thanks to a 50 percent clip (9-18) from the floor.
 
However, the Scots were hampered late by foul trouble, with two of their top producers fouling out in the fourth in Ace Sturdivant and Abby Henegar.
 
The two still managed to have solid nights. Sturdivant recorded 15 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Henegar finished with eight points and six rebounds.

Pink Sturdivant added 10 points on the night.
 
Wooster was able to stop John Carroll's best run of the game of 9-0 early in the third quarter. The Scots would go on to win the quarter 27-20 and cut John Carroll's lead all the way to four at 54-50.
 
Riccitelli scored 13 of her 22 points in the quarter, while Henegar scored all eight of hers. Wooster shot 69 percent (11-16) in the quarter and hit two of their three 3-point attempts.
 
However, when the fourth quarter started, John Carroll (20-2, 9-2 NCAC) was able to distance themselves with four quick points before Sturdivant connected on an and-1 opportunity.
 
Wooster (10-12, 2-9 NCAC) failed to connect on some open shots, and John Carroll would push its lead to double digits. Wooster cut the lead to eight on a Riccitelli jumper with 3:53 remaining but that was as close as they would get.
 
Both teams scored 40 points in the paint, but John Carroll had 12 second chance points and outrebounded Wooster 32-24.
 
Wooster shot better from the floor at 48 percent (25-52) to John Carroll's 47 percent (26-55). Wooster went just 3-of-12 from range (25 percent) and missed just one free throw (10-11), but John Carroll took double the attempts at the line (17-20) and went 5-of-16 from 3-point range.
 
The road does not get any easier for the Scots. On Saturday, they travel to Ohio Wesleyan (19-2, 10-1 NCAC) to take on the tenth-ranked Battling Bishops with a 1 p.m. tipoff.