Oberlin, OH – Coming off their first loss of the season, the Oberlin women's basketball team bounced back with a gritty win over non-conference foe Chatham. Freshman forward Camille Zinaich paced the way in the 57-40 win with 17 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Remaining undefeated at home, the Yeowomen move to an overall record of 9-1 and 3-1 in NCAC action.

With nine wins in their first 10 tries, the Yeowomen matched their entire season win total from the 2019-20 campaign when they ended 9-17.
 
The Oberlin squad opened the game on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from veteran shooter Sammy Spanier. As the Cougars climbed their way back into the game, the Yeowomen maintained a steady lead until a shot from behind the arc tied the score at 9-9. A connection from Jaedyn O'Reilly to Bryanna Woodard got the home team back ahead as the first quarter ended with Oberlin on top 13-9.
 
The slow-paced game continued into the second period of play, but Woodard shined, knocking down five-straight points in the first 2:56. Sophomore Maggie Balderstone got into the action, hitting a jump shot from inside the elbow to put Oberlin ahead 20-11. Balderstone struck again minutes later, this time from outside the arc to give the Yeowomen a double-digit advantage. In the final minutes of the half, Rowan Smith and O'Reilly combined for a pair of baskets to secure a 29-17 lead headed into the half.
 
Chatham came with fire out of the locker room, opening the half on a 6-2 run before Camille Zinaich found Spainer for a layup to slow the momentum. Defense seemed to take control of the game over the next several minutes, as both teams struggled to convert any shots. Sprinting down court in the final seconds of the quarter, Zinaich drove for a layup to extend the Oberlin and lead send the team into the final quarter with a mountain of momentum.
 
Up 41-27, Zinaich kept the rhythm rolling with another layup in the Yeowomen's first offensive possession. The Maryland native sank another pair of jump shots in the ensuing possessions to give Oberlin a commanding lead of 20. Trying for a comeback, the Cougars rallied for 11 straight points to trim the gap down to nine but would get no closer the rest of the way.
 
In the win, Zinaich recorded her third double-double of the season and third-consecutive game pulling in more than ten rebounds. A stat line of 17 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists, the freshman now leads the team in both assists and rebounds. Woodard and Spanier also had high scoring nights, putting up 13 and 10 points, respectively. Woodard also added four blocks on the evening.
 
With Saturday's game against Hiram postponed until February 14, the Yeowomen now get two weeks of recovery for the holiday break, before making the cross-country trip to California for a pair of games. Oberlin starts with Ponoma-Pitzer on Wednesday, December 29 at 4 pm EST with the live stream available here and live stats available here.
 
Fans can watch all the home matches live online. Home contests can be accessed on a TV through the official Oberlin College Sports Network app on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.