Witucky's Last-Second Jumper Gives Wooster Victory in OT

Kyle Witucky

With 6.1 seconds remaining in overtime, Kyle Witucky (Zanesville, Ohio / Zanesville) went from one end of the floor to the other and hit a game-winning jump shot as the buzzer sounded, lifting The College of Wooster to a hard-fought 83-81 win at Earlham College Saturday afternoon during North Coast Athletic Conference action.

After being behind the entire time in the extra session, Earlham (2-3, 0-1 NCAC) tied it 81-81 when LaRon Henry, who earlier forced the overtime via a 3-pointer at the conclusion of regulation (73-73), made the second of two free throw attempts with 6.1 showing on the clock.

The Quakers then called timeout to set up their defense. Witucky received the in-bounds pass, raced up court on the left side, then after passing the time line, dribbled to his right, and jump-stopped around the foul line, where he took the shot that would become the first “game-winner” of the senior point guard’s storied career. Witucky did connect in a similar situation last year, when he canned a 3-pointer at the end of a second overtime, forcing a third extra session during Wooster’s epic 102-95 win at Wittenberg University.

On Saturday, Earlham made it known early that it was going to be a challenging day for the Scots, who entered the week ranked No. 2 in the nation by D3hoops.com. The Quakers made 8-of-10 first-half 3-pointers, including 4-of-4 by Markous Jewett, to take a 38-37 lead at the break.

Wooster (6-0, 2-0 NCAC), though, scored the first nine points of the second half (46-38) and never trailed again, despite the closeness of the game. The Scots extended their lead to as much as 10 (61-51), but could not put away a determined Earlham squad.

It was 69-60 with 5:53 to play in the second when the Quakers made their run, behind Henry’s stellar play. The junior guard scored nine of his 13 second-half points, including the tying 3, during a 13-4 rally, which closed regulation.

Tim Vandervaart (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover) asserted himself early in overtime, making the first three buckets to put Wooster up 79-73. Earlham responded with a couple of Brandon Miller free throws and another Henry 3-pointer to pull within one. Vandervaart answered with another field goal (81-78) only to watch Miller get it back to a one-point game (81-80).

On the ensuing possession, the Scots missed a couple of shots before Earlham could secure the defensive rebound. The Quakers then had a chance to take the lead, as Henry was fouled at the 6.1 mark.

The statistics were as close as the game itself. Wooster shot 52.5 percent from the field (32-of-61), while Earlham finished at a rate of .517 (31-of-60). Both shot the ball well from the 3-point line, with the Scots making 5-of-9 (.556) and the Quakers 11-of-18 (.611), and they also both shot poorly from the foul line as Wooster was 14-of-22 (.636) and Earlham 8-of-19 (.421). The Quakers held a 36-30 edge on the glass.

Individually, Vandervaart led the way with 25 points on 10-of-13 field goals, while James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / Springfield South) connected on 8-of-13 shots from the floor as part of a 19-point day. Witucky was the Scots’ other double-digit scorer with 12 tallies.

Henry led four Earlham players in double figures with 20 points, while Miller went for a double-double of 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. After Jewett’s 16-point first half, he ended up with just one more field goal for the contest.

Next, Wooster continues league play with a home game against Oberlin College (0-7, 0-1 NCAC) on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7:30 p.m.