Wooster Falls to No. 6 OWU in Battle of Top-Two Teams in NCAC Preseason Poll

In a matchup of the two teams predicted to finish atop the North Coast Athletic Conference, The College of Wooster's defense was unable to slow down NCAC preseason favorite and No. 6 ranked Ohio Wesleyan University, as the Battling Bishops hit nearly 50 percent from the field and only committed five turnovers, adding up to an 88-75 setback for the Fighting Scots in Delaware, Ohio, on Wednesday night.

Wooster (2-2, 0-1 NCAC) led for a large portion of the opening 20 minutes, however, a pair of spurts by Ohio Wesleyan (7-0, 1-0 NCAC), one in the first half and one early in the second, proved too much to overcome.

A Josh Kipfer layup put the Scots ahead 35-28 with eight minutes remaining in the first, then the Bishops reeled off 14 unanswered points to take a seven-point lead themselves.

Dan Fanelly ended the seven-minute scoreless stretch for Wooster with a 3-pointer, and it was also a four-point game at halftime, with Ohio Wesleyan ahead 44-40.

The Bishops accounted for the first five points of the second half, part of a 12-4 overall run, which allowed the home team to take a double-digit lead (56-44).

The Scots stayed within striking distance until one final Ohio Wesleyan spurt – an 11-2 stretch that featured three 3-pointers – turned a 66-53 margin into 77-55 around the six-minute mark, just about sealing the outcome.

Statistically, Wooster almost kept up with the Bishops' torrid offense by making 42.9 percent of its field goals (27-for-63), including 10-of-25 3-pointers, compared to their 49.3 percent shooting (34-for-69) and 14 3-pointers (out of 38 attempts). Also, the Scots outrebounded Ohio Wesleyan by a sizable 43-31 margin.

The biggest difference in the game was turnovers, with the Bishops turning 13 Wooster giveaways into 19 points while committing just the five miscues themselves.

Fanelly was a bright spot for the Scots, as the junior turned in his best game of the young season with a game-high 22 points and career-best 18 rebounds, plus three assists, while Kipfer added 14 in the scoring column.

Also reaching a career high in rebounding was sophomore guard Spencer Williams with eight.

For the Bishops, Nate Axelrod, Ben Simpson, and Claude Gray scored 19, 18, and 17 points, respectively. Simpson's 18 included a perfect night from the field (8-for-8) and he corralled 11 boards for a double-double.

This Saturday afternoon, Wooster will host DePauw University (2-4, 0-1 NCAC) in a rematch of the 2015 NCAC Tournament championship game. Tip-off at Timken Gymnasium is scheduled for 3 p.m.