Doug Thorpe

Doug Thorpe scored 17 of his 20 points during the second half, including eight the final three minutes when the outcome was in doubt, as the senior guard helped get No. 11 ranked College of Wooster past Denison University 78-73 in the teams' North Coast Athletic Conference match-up at Granville, Ohio, on Saturday afternoon.

Wooster (18-3, 12-2 NCAC), which continues to hold a one-game lead in the conference standings, found itself in a 68-68 tie late in regulation with Denison (10-11, 6-8 NCAC). As the clock ticked under 3:00, Thorpe hit the first of a series of big shots, connecting on a 3-pointer off a pass from Kenny DeBoer, one of a career-high seven assists for the senior forward.

Both teams missed the front end of one-and-one opportunities at the free throw line and the Scots' Evan Pannell blocked a shot to continue to keep the Big Red off the board, as it remained 71-68 until the last minute.

Thorpe extend Wooster's lead to five, converting a drive to the hoop at the :51 mark.

Denison's Brad Woolard made it a one-possession game again (73-70) via an offensive rebound and put-back.

With the Big Red forced to foul the final 35 seconds, Thorpe made 3-of-4 free throws and backcourt mate Xavier Brown sunk a pair to clinch the win.

Denison was ahead by six (21-15) midway through the first half, but shortly thereafter, the Scots exploded for a 21-4 stretch in taking a 14-point cushion (43-29). It was 43-31 at halftime.

Wooster continued to hold a double-digit advantage early in the second, however, the Big Red got hot, scoring on eight of 10 possessions at one juncture in taking a 60-59 lead. It remained close until Thorpe and company made the key plays down the stretch.

For the game, the Scots shot over 50 percent from the field (.509; 28-for-55) and committed less than 10 turnovers (nine), but their defense was not up to their usual standard as Denison nearly hit 50 percent of its shots from the floor (.468; 29-for-62) and also made just nine turnovers.

Thorpe's 20 marked his fifth 20-point game in the last six outings and Brown was equally effective with 19 points, while DeBoer nearly had a double-double with 14 points and a game-high nine rebounds, plus the seven assists.

Alex Longi fueled the Big Red's strong game with 22 points, including 10-of-13 field goals.

Wooster continues its quest for the 2013-14 NCAC championship on Wednesday when it travels to Hiram College (5-16, 3-11 NCAC) for an 8 p.m. tip-off.