Justin Hallowell connected on this 3-pointer to put Wooster up 67-60 over Transylvania.

WOOSTER, Ohio – Following a timeout with about 4:00 remaining, The College of Wooster scored 14 unanswered points to turn a 60-58 deficit into a 72-60 lead during a three-minute span and the Fighting Scots secured a 75-65 victory over Transylvania University in the championship game of the 47th annual "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic Wednesday night at Timken Gymnasium.

It was a back-and-forth affair between the two traditional regional powers, but Transylvania (7-5), which knocked off No. 1 ranked Washington University-St. Louis on Tuesday, did hold the upper hand for the majority of the second half, including 60-58.

Then coming out of the timeout, Brandon Johnson deposited a 3-pointer from just left of the top of the key after receiving a pass from Ian Franks to give Wooster (8-4) a lead it would not relinquish. Franks and Justin Hallowell followed with 3-balls, both assisted by Johnson, and coupled with defensive stops, the Scots were suddenly up three possessions at 67-60.

The Pioneers came up empty three more series, while Franks hit 3-of-4 free throws and Nathan Balch converted two at the charity stripe for a near insurmountable 12-point cushion entering the final minute.

Overall, there were 18 lead changes and nine ties, with 19 of those sequences coming in the first half. Wooster owned a slight 32-31 advantage at the break.

The second half saw a series of runs. First, the Scots had an early eight-point swing in their favor to take a 40-34 lead, but that was followed by a 12-1 run for Transylvania as the visitors grabbed a five-point edge (46-41). Wooster bounced back with nine of the next 11 points, capped by a Mike Evans 3-pointer, only to see the Pioneers answer via a 7-1 run and they stayed ahead until Johnson's second 3-pointer of the game.

Statistically, the Scots shot a little better, winding up just under 50 percent from the field (.490; 24-of-49) to Transylvania's rate of .408 (20-of-49). Wooster also held a 32-27 rebounding margin and cut down on its turnovers in the second half, committing just five after 10 in the first.

Franks was named tournament MVP after filling the stat sheet with a game-high 24 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Teammate Bryan Wickliffe was the defensive MVP, as the forward consistently moved out on the perimeter to help slow down the Pioneers' guards.

Also on the all-tournament team for the Scots was Nathan Balch, who came up with 17 points, including 3-of-5 3-pointers during Wednesday's action.

For Transylvania, Tim Tierney pumped in 19 points after a 25-point explosion Tuesday, good for all-tourney team recognition. Chris Owens also earned a spot as he had 10 points in the championship and was key in shutting down Washington-St. Louis' leading scorer.

The top-ranked Bears bounced back Wednesday, coasting past Kalamazoo College 70-44 during the teams' consolation match-up. Washington-St. Louis (9-1) never trailed, quickly building leads of 8-0, 21-6, 31-12, and 41-23 at halftime.

Leading the way Wednesday was Caleb Knepper with 20 points off the bench, keyed by 4-of-7 3-balls. He picked up all-tournament status, as did teammate Spencer Gay, who had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds during first-round action.

Wooster will not be in action again until Saturday, Jan. 9, when it hosts North Coast Athletic Conference foe Kenyon College (3-6, 0-2 NCAC) at 3 p.m.