Mitch Balser

Spencer Williams

WOOSTER, Ohio – After Kenyon College knotted the score 68-68 around the midway point of the second half, The College of Wooster put together a decisive 20-4 stretch as the Fighting Scots pulled away to a 101-88 North Coast Athletic Conference win on Wednesday night at Timken Gymnasium.

Wooster (15-5, 11-2 NCAC) never trailed the entire game, however, it could not shake Kenyon (8-12, 5-8 NCAC) until that second-half surge.

The Lords rallied with an 11-2 spurt to tie it at 68, then Spencer Williams helped key the victory as 11 of his game- and career-high 25 points came during the Scots' decisive run. First, he made a driving lay-up to break the tie, followed by a defensive stop and a Mitch Balser 3-pointer, and later the sophomore shooting guard found a hole to the basket for another lay-in and 77-70 Wooster lead at the 8:23 mark.

The score was 79-72 when Williams worked his way to the free throw line on back-to-back possessions and dropped in all four attempts. Next, he stole the ball from a Kenyon post player, and on the other end, sank a 3-pointer.

Alex LaLonde, who also played a pivotal role during the 20-4 run with four points, two assists, one block, and one steal, made a pair at the foul line, and the Scots suddenly owned an 88-72 cushion with 6:21 to play.

Wooster led comfortably the rest of the way, eclipsing the 100-point milestone for the second time this season.

During the first half, the Scots' largest lead was 44-33, but the Lords closed to within 53-46 at the break.

Both teams shot very well from the field – Wooster finishing at 54.1 percent (33-for-61) and Kenyon at 53.7 percent (29-for-54). The Scots' defense did limit the Lords' possessions, though, as it helped create 18 turnovers, compared to a season-low five for the home team.

Williams' 25 points consisted of 8-of-11 field goals (2-of-3 3-pointers) and 7-of-7 free throws, while Balser put 24 tallies in the scorebook, marking the freshman's first career 20-point game. He knocked down 5-of-9 3-point attempts and also gathered a team-high seven rebounds.

Also in double figures were Reece Dupler with a season-best 17 points, and Dan Fanelly and LaLonde with 10 apiece. Fanelly contributed five steals for the second game in a row, while LaLonde matched his career high with six assists plus added three blocked shots.

For Kenyon, Alexander Powell led the way with 20 points.

Having closed a three-game homestand, Wooster will be on the road for three of the next four, starting with Saturday's trip to fourth-place Denison University (12-8, 7-6 NCAC), which has won five of its last six.