Wooster Drops Wabash by 77-59 Count

WOOSTER, Ohio – After Wabash College closed within single digits for the second time during the second half, The College of Wooster responded with 10 unanswered points and led by double figures for the remainder of the North Coast Athletic Conference tilt, as the 14th-ranked Fighting Scots prevailed 77-59 in a Saturday afternoon affair at Timken Gymnasium.

When Wabash (15-6, 7-5 NCAC) pulled within 50-41 with 14:10 to play, Wooster (18-3, 9-3 NCAC) went to its reserves and they quickly bumped the lead back to a comfortable margin. During the 10-0 run, Doug Thorpe accounted for six of his team-high 18 points, including a rare four-point play when he was fouled while dropping in a 3-pointer from the left corner.

With the score 60-41 at the 11:26 mark, the Little Giants didn't get the margin any closer than 11, although they did have a series of opportunities to do so. It was 66-54 for about a two-minute stretch when the offenses combined for six missed shots and two turnovers. The Scots' Xavier Brown ended the scoreless drought with a pair of free throws with 4:25 remaining and then he added a fast-break lay-up, assisted by Matt Fegan, for a 70-54 cushion en route to the 18-point win.

Wabash's Derek Bailey scored his team's first eight points, helping spark the visitors to a 10-4 lead. Wooster's offense was matching the Little Giants for the most part, and the former went ahead for the second time at 16-15 with 11:03 on the clock. The Scots never trailed again, steadily building a 38-27 lead by halftime.

Wooster shot 54.2 percent from the field (26-for-58), including 9-of-16 3-pointers (.563), while holding Wabash to just 33.3 percent (21-for-63), and won the rebounding battle 36-30. However, the Little Giants did collect 15 offensive boards, one of the few negatives of the day for the Scots.

Thorpe's 18 points came on a near-perfect shooting effort. He made all four 3-point attempts and two other field goals, but one of his three free throws rolled off the rim.

Justin Hallowell chipped in with 14 points and four other Scots scored eight or more. Jake Mays was credited with nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

After his hot start, Bailey finished with 18 points, while Brian Shelbourne produced a balanced stat line of eight points, nine boards, seven assists, and three steals.

Next, Wooster goes on the road to face Ohio Wesleyan University (16-5, 8-4 NCAC) Wednesday in a battle of two of the top-three teams in the conference standings. Tip time is set for 8 p.m.