Wooster Sets Team Scoring Record, Wins E&H Invitational

Tim Vandervaart

The College of Wooster easily overcame the run-and-gun attack of the host school during Sunday’s title game of the Emory & Henry College Invitational, setting a new team scoring record on the way to a 150-101 victory over the Wasps as the Fighting Scots won their second tourney in as many weekends of the 2005-06 season. Wooster had advanced to the finals via a 77-64 win against Methodist College Saturday night.

For the Scots (4-0), the 150 points were 17 more than the previous best mark of 133, which had stood for 34 years. Wooster also set single-game records for field goals made (63) and first-half points (80), while its 73 rebounds and 36 assists were the second-best and tied for the third-highest totals in those respective categories.

The Scots spurted out to leads of 12-0 and 18-2 on Sunday and never looked back. The margin reached 20-plus at the 11:38 mark of the first half (33-13) and it only dipped below that once the rest of the way. Wooster was up 61-25 at one point and went into the break ahead by 37 (80-43).

Individually, Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) and Evan Will (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman) hit career highs with 33 and 21 points, respectively, while James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / Springfield South), Tim Vandervaart (North Canton, Ohio / Hoover), and Andy Van Horn (Loudonville, Ohio / Loudonville) finished with tallies of 26, 20, and 14 in the scorebook, respectively. Will’s previous career best was eight.

Emory & Henry (2-2), which was held to a season-low point total, also put five in double figures, led by Robert Hudson’s 14 points.

In a contrast of styles, the Wasps elected to quickly throw up 3-point attempts, going 16-of-65 on the day (.246), while Wooster, which made 17-of-36 3-pointers in a game earlier this season, proved it could win another way as all but three of the Scots’ 90 field goal attempts came inside the arc. Wooster shot an even 70 percent from the field (63-of-90) and also outrebounded Emory & Henry 73-36, paced by Vandervaart’s 17 caroms and Will’s 12, another career high for the latter.

On Saturday, the Scots had a wire-to-wire victory in a match-up of two teams that were in the 2005 NCAA Div. III Tournament. Wooster raced out to a 12-2 advantage against Methodist, and later, capped the opening half on a 9-4 run to turn a four-point margin (24-20) into a 33-24 lead.

The Scots extended it to as many as 19 points (63-44) in the second half before the Monarchs rallied, pulling within 10 (68-58) at the 2:39 mark. Methodist got it down to 72-63 with :27 remaining, but Wooster added three free throws and a Port dunk for the final margin.

In that game, Cooper led Wooster in the scoring department with 19 points, while Vandervaart posted a double-double (16 points, 16 rebounds). With his 36 points and 33 rebounds over the two games, Vandervaart copped tourney MVP honors, while Cooper was also voted to the all-tournament team.

Criag Moore came off the bench to lead the Monarchs with 16 markers and nine boards.

The Scots held both opponents this weekend to less than 36 percent from the field, as Methodist ended up connecting on 23-of-64 (.359), compared to Wooster’s 29-of-68 (.426). The Scots owned 47-39 edge on the glass Saturday.

Wooster opens up North Coast Athletic Conference play next, as its travels to Denison University (2-2) on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. tip.