24th-Ranked Wooster Hangs on for 72-68 Win Over OWU

WOOSTER, Ohio – Hanging on to a one-point lead and with the shot clock off on potentially the final possession, No. 24 ranked College of Wooster induced a turnover out of Ohio Wesleyan University with 11.6 seconds remaining, then drained 3-of-4 free throws to clinch a 72-68 victory during a key North Coast Athletic Conference clash Saturday night at Timken Gymnasium.

After Wooster (14-3, 5-3 NCAC) turned the ball over with a 69-68 lead and 35.8 seconds left, Ohio Wesleyan (13-4, 5-3 NCAC) had an opportunity to win a game, in which it had only been ahead on three occasions – 15-14, 57-56, and 62-61. The Battling Bishops were looking to throw the ball inside, but Ryan Snyder, who entered as a defensive substitution during a timeout, tipped the entry pass and helped make sure it went off an Ohio Wesleyan player out-of-bounds at the 11.6 mark.

Wooster successfully inbounded to Matt Fegan, who was quickly fouled, and the senior guard sunk both free throws for a three-point advantage (71-68) with 11.2 seconds to go.

With one last chance to tie, the Bishops forced up a well-defended 3-pointer from the right wing that was off the mark and rebounded by Justin Warnes on the left side. Warnes was fouled immediately with 2.0 seconds left and he made the first of two free throws to clinch the win.

The first half featured a series of runs between the two teams that entered the day at 13-3 overall. The Scots scored on five of their first six possessions in jumping out to a 10-2 lead, with eight points coming from Josh Claytor in the post. After a Jake Mays dunk off an offensive rebound made it 12-3, Ohio Wesleyan put together a 12-2 run, featuring seven points by Tim Brady, for its first advantage on the scoreboard.

Wooster would account for the next 11 points, highlighted by 3-pointers from Warnes, Fegan, and Fegan again on back-to-back-to-back possessions, but that double-digit cushion (25-15) would not hold. The Bishops trimmed an 11-point margin (31-20) to three with a 12-4 stretch, followed by a couple of Justin Hallowell free throws that made it 37-32 at halftime.

The second half saw the Scots stay ahead between 3-to-10 points before Ohio Wesleyan rattled off 11 unanswered points to retake the lead at 57-56 with 8:01 remaining. From that point on, neither led by more than four, and it was Wooster's ability to get the ball in to Claytor that was the difference as he scored 10 of the team's 13 points before Fegan's and Warnes' free throws.

The final statistics of the two teams were remarkably similar. The only discernible difference was the Scots' 47.1 percent shooting from the field (24-of-51) to the Bishops' 40.7 percent (22-of-54). Otherwise, they both made seven 3-pointers and 17 free throws, while committing 11 turnovers, and Wooster held the slimmest of rebounding margins (34-33).

Claytor was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field as part of a 20-point night and he also paced the Scots in rebounding with seven. Three others hit double figures, Hallowell with 14 points, Fegan 13, and Warnes 10.

Brady, the league's leading scorer, reached his average of 22 points, while Eric Easley and Greg White provided Ohio Wesleyan with a lift, contributing 14 and 12 points, respectively.  

Next, the Scots finish a stretch that has seen them play seven of nine at home when they welcome Kenyon College (8-9, 2-6 NCAC) to Timken Gymnasium for an 8 p.m. tip on Wednesday.