24th-Ranked Scots Come Up Short at Ohio Wesleyan

DELAWARE, Ohio – Senior Danyon Hempy moved into The College of Wooster's all-time top 10 on the career scoring list, but the 24th-ranked Fighting Scots' furious late comeback bid came up short, as Ohio Wesleyan University upended the Black and Gold 65-60 on Saturday afternoon at Branch Rickey Arena.

Wooster's (9-2, 3-1 North Coast Athletic Conference) best stretch came at the game's onset, as the Scots opened with a 10-0 run, and the Battling Bishops (7-4, 2-2 NCAC) didn't get on the board until Zane Ries' layup with 13:46 on the clock. Hempy scored six of Wooster's points during the opening stretch, and he had the stat-worthy defensive plays as well, thanks to a massive blocked shot and a steal.

Ohio Wesleyan, which started 0-of-8 from the floor, went 14-of-21 over the final 13:46 of the first half. That equated to a 38-27 halftime lead.

One of Wooster's other more consistent offensive stretches occurred at the start of the second stanza. Sophomore Najee Hardaway, who was making his first collegiate start, powered inside for a hard-fought layup on Wooster's first offensive possession, and the Scots were within 43-35 with 17:33 remaining after senior Trenton Tipton drained a pair of three-balls.

Wooster nearly overcame a 16-point deficit in the final two minutes, as the Scots closed the game with a 14-3 run. Junior Keonn Scott dropped 14 of his game-high 19 points during the closing stretch, and his three-ball pulled Wooster within 64-60 with two seconds remaining. Wooster corralled five offensive rebounds in the final two minutes, two of which were logged by junior Dontae Williams. Defensively, the Scots fouled the correct Battling Bishops, as Ohio Wesleyan went 2-of-8 at the charity stripe before Ethan Stanislawski split a pair with less than two seconds to go, which made it a five-point game.

Williams scored 16 points to pair with a career-high 14 rebounds. Hempy, who scored 10 points, now has 1,568 for his standout four-year career. Hardaway was the high man in assists with four.

Wooster shot just 31.8 percent (21-of-66), was 6-of-34 from three-point range, but did corral 12 more rebounds than Ohio Wesleyan.

Stanislawski's 13 points marked the team-high, as did Gabe Johnson's seven rebounds and three assists.

Ohio Wesleyan shot 43.1 percent (22-of-51) from the floor, was 8-of-21 from beyond the arc, but only had one steal.

Wooster's three-game road trip continues on Wednesday, January 8, when the Scots head to Gambier, Ohio, to take on Kenyon College (5-6, 2-2 NCAC) at 8 p.m.