Wooster Scores Final 11 Points to Defeat OWU 73-63

Randy Sistrunk scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds off the bench to help spark the Scots.

WOOSTER, Ohio — An 11-0 run, sparked by sophomores Rodney Mitchell (Elida, Ohio / Elida) and Randy Sistrunk (Canton, Ohio / Canton McKinley), over the final 3:49 pushed The College of Wooster past visiting Ohio Wesleyan University 73-63 in North Coast Athletic Conference play tonight.

Wooster (4-2, 2-0 NCAC), ranked 23rd in this week’s d3hoops.com weekly poll, faced its biggest deficit of the night — five points — with 8:08 remaining, but fought back with a 10-2 rally to retake the lead. Ohio Wesleyan answered with a mini-run to gain a 63-62 advantage.

Then, Mitchell and Sistrunk took over, as Mitchell scored three points, dished off an assist, and grabbed a rebound, and Sistrunk totaled four points, including a fast break dunk, grabbed five boards, and stole a pass during the stretch run to lift the Scots to the win.

Overall, Sistrunk turned in his best performance of the season by nearly notching a double-double with 12 points on nine rebounds, as he played a game suited to his style of driving to the basket and cashing in on several plays above the rim. Mitchell shared team scoring honors with Sistrunk, tallying eight of his 12 in the second while adding four assists and a pair of steals.

Wooster, which led for the entire first half and was up by as many as eight on four different occasions in the opening 20 minutes, also had two others reach double figures in scoring. Despite facing double- and triple-teams from the Battling Bishops, junior Bryan Nelson (Kettering, Ohio / Kettering Fairmont) turned in his second double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 caroms, eight of which came in the second stanza to get the Scots rolling in transition. Also aiding Wooster’s fast break was sophomore Robert Sims (Bedford Heights, Ohio / St. Peter Chanel), who contributed a team-high five assists.

The Scots’ other double-digit man was junior wing Matt Smith (Elida, Ohio / Elida), who provided an early spark with eight of Wooster’s first 10 points. He finished with 10 tallies.

Ohio Wesleyan (4-3, 1-0 NCAC), which battled its way back into the game by controlling the glass and forcing the hosts into turnovers and tough shots, was led by freshman Brandon Cole, who posted a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Sophomore Travis Schwab also poured in 14 points, while junior Shawn Kindred and sophomore Charlie Smith added 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Next, the Scots will stay at home and welcome Kenyon College (2-5, 1-1 NCAC) to Timken Gymnasium on Saturday, Dec. 8, with tip-off slated for 7:30 p.m., while Ohio Wesleyan hosts Hiram College (1-5, 0-2 NCAC) that day at 3:15 p.m.