Scots Top OAC Foes Mt. Union, Capital On Weekend

Andy Van Horn, pictured here against Ohio Northern, started his first two collegiate games this weekend.

The College of Wooster got a career-high 27 points from sophomore Justin Bradley (Milford, Ohio / Milford) on Saturday to defeat Mt. Union College 79-69 and then received a 20-point effort from Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) to beat recent nemesis Capital University Sunday afternoon, as the Scots won both of their games in the 2004 North Coast Athletic Conference/Ohio Athletic Conference Challenge.

 Wooster, now 4-0 overall on the young season, including three wins against opponents out of the OAC, was in trouble of losing its third-straight game against Capital, falling behind by nine points in the first half. But the Scots rallied for a 42-41 halftime lead and then broken open the close game with a 10-2 run midway though the second, eventually securing an 83-73 victory.

Leading the way against the Crusaders (3-2) was Port, who bounced back from a career-low two points on Saturday with a season-high 21-point effort, including 4-of-8 shooting from 3-pointers, as well as a squad-leading three assists.

Also playing prominent roles were sophomore Tim Vandervaart (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover) and freshman James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / South), who came off the bench for career-highs of 17 points and 16 points, respectively. Vandervaart pulled down a team-best eight rebounds, while playing the majority of the second half.

Saturday’s match-up against Mt. Union (0-2) was a more comfortable win for Wooster, as the Scots jumped out to an early lead, were ahead 40-31 at the break, and remained in front by multiple possessions throughout the second half.

Among those stepping up in for Port, who had been ill, was Bradley, who made 7-of-11 field goals and all 13 of his free throw attempts. He also added four rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots for his best career game.

Wooster received an additional 11 points off the bench from freshman Devin Fulk (Newark, Ohio / Licking Valley), who connected on 3-of-5 3-pointers and dished out three assists without a turnover against the Purple Raiders.

Also noteworthy from the weekend, senior Matt Schlingman (Ashland, Ohio / Ashland) was one of the Scots’ most productive starters, scoring 11 points in each contest.

Next, Wooster will open up NCAC play against Denison University (2-3), which split a pair of games in its own NCAC/OAC Challenge with Muskingum College (54-59) and Marietta College (121-102), Wednesday night (Dec. 1) at home, with opening tip scheduled for 7:30 p.m.