No. 23 Ranked Scots Home for Two NCAC Contests This Week

For The Week Of:
January 21, 2008

Written by Hugh Howard
330-263-2374
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Robert Melick

After seeing its 10-game winning streak come to an end during a heartbreaking overtime loss at its top rival, The College of Wooster, which slipped from No. 19 to No. 23 in the latest D3hoops.com national top-25 poll, hopes to return to its winning ways this week with a pair of home North Coast Athletic Conference games. On Wednesday night, Jan. 23, Denison University (0-15, 0-6 NCAC) visits Timken Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. match-up. The Fighting Scots have not lost to Denison since Feb. 1, 1997 – a stretch of 16 games – and own an 83-47 advantage in the all-time series. This Saturday afternoon, Jan. 26, Wooster hosts Earlham College (2-13, 0-6 NCAC), the first game of a men’s-women’s doubleheader, starting at 1 p.m. The Scots will be looking to extend a remarkable string of 40 consecutive victories against Earlham, which includes three last year when Wooster swept the regular season (84-62 at home and 64-51 on the road) and also were victorious in an NCAC Tournament quarterfinal meeting (94-76 at home). Overall, the Scots are 43-2 against the Quakers.

Last Week: Wooster split a pair of conference road games, falling to 12-3 overall and into second-place in the NCAC (5-1).

On Jan. 16, the Scots were clicking on all cylinders offensively, as they set or equaled season-highs for points, field-goal percentage (.566), 3-pointers made (14), and assists (21) during a 117-87 win at NCAC foe Hiram College. The 117 points marked the 11th-most for a single-game in team history. The two traded baskets for much of the first seven minutes. Then, with the score tied 17-17, Wooster exploded for a 20-3 run, which included three 3-pointers from James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / Springfield South). The lead would only dip into single digits once the remainder of the game (39-30), and the Scots took a 62-45 cushion into halftime, marking the 10th-highest first-half point total in team history. In the second, the margin stayed between 17-to-31 points. Six Wooster players reached double figures in the scoring column, led by Cooper’s 22 points, which included 4-of-5 3-point shooting. Marty Bidwell (Middletown, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) and Dustin Geitgey (West Salem, Ohio / Northwestern) were each 3-of-5 from that range. In addition to 15 points, Bidwell posted game highs of seven assists and five steals. In the post, Bryan Wickliffe (Columbus, Ohio / St. Charles Prep), Evan Will (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman), and Robert Melick (Gambier, Ohio / Mt. Vernon) poured in 17, 15, and 13 points, respectively. For Melick, it marked a career high, while Will equaled a season high in scoring and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Also of note, Devin Fulk (Newark, Ohio / Licking Valley) put 10 markers in the scorebook and Brandon Johnson (Columbus, Ohio / Groveport Madison) chipped in with six assists.

On Jan. 19, the Scots led for all but a few possessions, however, it was Wittenberg University that came up with the big plays, including three made free throws with 1.9 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime and the last five points of overtime to pull out an 87-86 victory in another classic between the two archrivals at Springfield, Ohio. Wooster took a 76-73 advantage, when Fulk sunk two clutch free throws with 14.1 seconds remaining in the second half, only to see Wittenberg’s Brandan Barabino calmly sink three of his own at the 1.9 mark after being fouled on a desperation 3-point attempt. Carrying the momentum into the extra session, the Tigers went ahead 78-76, marking their first lead since the eight-minute mark of the first half. Wittenberg was also up 80-78 and 82-80 before the Scots reeled off six in a row via a Bidwell 3-pointer, a Will lay-up, and a Johnson free throw, which added up to an 86-82 cushion with just under :30 to go. The Tigers’ Gregg Hill answered, banking in a 3-pointer to make it a one-point game, and following a pair of missed free throws by Wooster, he converted a driving lay-up at the 4.4 mark for what turned out to be the game-winner. Johnson, who hit a buzzer-beater earlier this season in the 89-88 win over Walsh University Dec. 15, attempted a similar jumper from just outside the free throw line, but it bounced off the back iron this time. The Scots, who increased a 44-39 halftime advantage into double-digits on three occasions (58-47, 60-50, 62-52) but then were held without a field goal for the final 5:30 of regulation, were paced by Cooper. Playing in his hometown, he had 21 points, including 3-of-5 3-point shooting, while backcourt mate Johnson chipped in 15. Will posted a balanced stat line of 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists, the latter two being squad highs, and Fulk also ended up with 14. Bidwell contributed 12 points.