Scots Strike During Tigers’ Sloppy Stretch, Win 125th-All-Time Meeting 79-76

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – Two strips and a poke-away steal in a four-possession span enabled The College of Wooster men's basketball team to take its first lead of the night, then the Fighting Scots held off archnemesis Wittenberg University to win the 125th all-time meeting between NCAA Div. III's two winningest teams 79-76 on Saturday evening at Pam Evans Smith Arena.

With its win, Wooster (12-3, 6-1 North Coast Athletic Conference) now leads one of small college basketball's greatest rivalries 65-60. The Scots have won four straight over their archrival, marking the longest winning streak since Wooster's co-rivalry-best eight-game run from 2012-15.

Wittenberg's (7-8, 4-4 NCAC) Trey Killens had a chance to send the game into overtime, but his pull-up floater from midcourt was well short.

Wooster junior Carter Warstler stripped Jerry Saunders Jr. for the first steal in the decisive stretch, then senior Najee Hardaway earned three points the old-fashion way after one of his signature drives. Sophomore Jamir Billings was next to get a strip steal, with his coming against Josh Tolliver as the Tigers' guard was about to go up for a layup. Hardaway and Warstler worked the give-and-go in transition, drawing the one Tiger sprinting back out of position. That enabled Hardaway an open look to tie the game at 61 with 6:32 remaining.

Fittingly, junior JJ Cline, who was born into the rivalry, gave his hometown team its first lead of the night. That came with 5:45 remaining on a banked-in floater. Next, Billings knocked the ball away from the Tigers, collected the loose ball, and drove in to finish Wooster's 11-0 run. Senior Turner Kurt cleaned up a pair of misses to give Wooster a 71-67 lead at the 2:39 mark before Billings' pull-up triple capped the Scots' 20-6 stretch.

Wittenberg clawed back with a 9-2 stretch inside the final minute before Hardaway padded the lead back to three at the charity stripe.

Wooster's bench came through during the Scots' strongest stretches of the first half. Junior Nick Everett capped a fastbreak with a dunk coming out of a timeout that pulled Wooster within 26-16 with 8:09 showing on the first-half clock. Next, the starters contributed, with Cline canning a triple on the Scots' following possession that cut Wooster's deficit to 26-19.

Later, offensive rebounds helped Wooster get within 36-31 at the first half's 1:32 mark. First-year Isaac Roeder secured his second offensive board of the half and was fouled, resulting in a free throw make. Then, Hardaway found junior Brennan South open at the top of the arc. The Scots' guard was on the money, and Wooster was within five as a result for the first time since 13-8.

Kurt's free throws after an offensive rebound with less than two seconds remaining before halftime enabled the Scots to get within 38-33 at the break.

Hardaway led all players with a career-high 24 points on the night. He went 8-of-16 from the floor and added seven rebounds to his line, a total one shy of the team lead that was held by Kurt. Everett sank all six of his free throws and was 5-of-6 at the line for 16 points, while Warstler hustled down a few key offensive rebounds.

Wooster shot 41.5 percent (27-of-65) from the floor, 21-of-28 (75 percent) at the line, and had a season-low seven turnovers.

Levi Boettcher's 22 points were the top total for Wittenberg. Killens followed with 17.

Wooster won despite Wittenberg shooting nearly 60 percent (28-of-49) for the game. The Tigers did hit the 60-percent threshold in the first half. However, an 18-2 difference in second-chance points helped the Scots tremendously.

Of note, the game was the 50th in the rivalry decided by five or fewer points. It also marked the 17th in the last 40 meetings.

Next, Wooster hosts Denison University (8-7, 4-3 NCAC) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18.