No. 19 Scots Come Back from 20 Down, Prevail 63-61 Over St. Mary’s (Md.)

The College of Wooster, ranked No. 19 in the latest D3hoops.com top-25 poll, stormed back from a 20-point deficit early in the second half Monday and emerged with a 63-61 victory over recent NCAA Div. III Mid-Atlantic regional power St. Mary's College of Maryland in a game played at San Juan, P.R., as part of the Puerto Rico Classic, hosted by the University of Sacred Heart.

St. Mary's (8-3) scored the first three points of the second half to increase its lead to 42-22, however, Wooster (6-2) rattled off a 12-0 run to get back into the game.

While the Seahawks would go back up by double figures, the Fighting Scots continued to chip away and took their first lead when Matt Fegan dropped in his only points of the afternoon, a 3-pointer, around the 1:37 mark. That made it 58-56, but St. Mary's tied it on the ensuing possession.

Josh Claytor then converted an old-fashioned three-point play, as Wooster opened up a 61-58 lead with just over a minute remaining. The Seahawks followed by earning a trip to the free throw line and sinking both attempts to make it a one-point game.

The Scots added a couple more points via 2-of-4 free throws, but then gave St. Mary's a last chance to send the game into overtime or win. The Seahawks went for the latter, but a well-defended 3-pointer glanced off the rim.

The key to Wooster's second-half comeback can be found in the teams' field-goal percentages, as the Scots made 14-of-24 (.583) to St. Mary's 5-of-22 (.227). Another difference in the game was Wooster's 41-29 rebounding margin, however, the Scots shot a season-low 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the free throw line.

Claytor finished with a game-high 16 points, while Doug Thorpe keyed the win with career highs in both points (12) and assists (4). Justin Hallowell contributed in a variety of ways with 10 points, team-best seven rebounds, and three assists.

Wooster will be right back in action on Tuesday, facing the host school, Sacred Heart, at 1:00 Atlantic Standard Time.