Defense, Price Stifle La Roche, 84-58

WOOSTER, Ohio – Senior Ashton Price powered The College of Wooster men's basketball team with 20 first-half points, and classmate Jamir Billings' all-around effort aided the Fighting Scots in an 84-58 win over La Roche University to cap night one of the program's annual Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic.

Price had more than half of Wooster's (3-0) points in the opening 20 minutes, and that enabled the Scots to open up a 38-32 lead at halftime. The senior went 6-of-10 from the floor and 7-of-8 at the line. Price scored the final four points of Wooster's 6-0 run, with his jumper coming on Billings' fourth assist of the night.

However, La Roche (1-5) took the lead at the charity stripe before Price's turnaround jumper fell, giving Wooster the lead right back at 33-32 as the clock hit 2:37. A Price floating jumper and free throw made it 36-32 before junior Isaac Roeder knocked down a jumper outside the paint to bring the game to 38-32 at halftime.

Senior Nick Everett's physicality dominated the second half's storyline. The forward drew seven fouls and went 10-of-12 at the line as part of a 14-point second half. Billings heated up in the scoring column, with all 11 of his points coming after halftime. The point guard added four steals in the second half.

Wooster's best stretch was a 9-0 run after La Roche pulled within 66-53 with 6:26 remaining. Billings' 3-pointer kicked off the run, and junior Jaiden Cox-Holloway connected from range from the corner on a second-chance opportunity. Junior EJ Kapihe kept a second straight possession alive with an offensive rebound and made the stick-back to up Wooster's lead to 75-53 with 5:02 to go.

Price ended the night with 24 points, and Everett joined him in the 20s, hitting that number, thanks to a 14-of-18 ledger at the line. Billings had six steals to go with six rebounds, and five assists. The six steals marked the senior's seventh career game with at least that many and moved him within 10 of the program's all-time record.

Cox-Holloway and Everett each blocked two shots, Cox-Holloway's and Kapihe had seven rebounds each, and six of Kapihe's boards came on the offensive end.

Wooster shot 46.2 percent (24-of-52) for the game and 80 percent (32-of-40) at the charity stripe. Wooster outrebounded La Roche 39-33.

Michael Brooks and Joe Starzynski had 11 points each for La Roche. La Roche shot just 33.9 percent (21-of-62) for the game and did not make a 3-pointer in the second half. In fact, La Roche was just 5-of-30 on 3-pointers for the game.

No. 19 University of Mount Union (3-1) pulled away from Bluffton University (0-3) in Friday's opener, winning 95-72. The Purple Raiders outscored the Beavers 54-37 in the second half. Mount Union's Christian Parker dropped in 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and had 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocked shots. Chance Casenheiser matched Parker with 14 points in the win. Bluffton's Nevin Robson scored a game-high 17 points.

Bluffton and La Roche play in Saturday's consolation game at 4 p.m., with Mount Union and Wooster to follow in the 6 p.m. championship game. Fans can get in free with the donation of two canned or boxed food items which will be donated to People to People Ministries.