While the menís basketball team hadnít lost a game since mid-December, head coach Steve Moore had been waiting for the Scots (16-4, 11-0 NCAC) to put together a performance in which the team was firing on all cylinders. Unluckily for the Denison Big Red (4-15, 4-6 NCAC) the Scots figured it out last Saturday night.
The Scots took control from the opening tip Saturday and never looked back. Just five minutes into the action, the Scots built a 15-3 lead. Denison was soon able to cut the margin to seven (18-11), and was able to stay within about 10 for most of the first half. The Scots used a 9-2 run late in the half to take a 51-35 lead into halftime.
The Scots didnít let up in the second half, leading by as much as 77-49 with just under 13 minutes to play in the game. The Scots coasted the rest of the way, eventually winning by a score of 97-73.
Guard Ian Franks í11 again led the way for the Scots with 30 points. Franks has been the Scotsí leading scorer in 12 of their 19 games. Franks was 11-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-5 from behind the arc. Franks also handed out five assists.
Guard Nathan Balch í11 posted his second straight game in double figures with 18 points, including hitting 3-for-6 from three-point range. After starting slowly, Balch has found his shooting touch the past two games.
Bryan Wickliffe í11 was a force in the paint. Wickliffe matched a season-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting from the field. For good measure, Wickliffe grabbed five rebounds. The Scots absolutely dominated on the glass, out-muscling the Big Red 44-28 in the rebounding category.
Justin Hallowell í12 led the team with 12 rebounds. On the scoring end, Hallowell had a slow day, contributing just three points on 1-for-11 shooting from the field. However, looking simply at Hallowellís scoring line would be misleading. Hallowell not only matched his career high in rebounding, but also dished out four assists.
At the beginning of the season, head coach Steve Moore indicated that he expected the sophomore to diversify his game. After being named National Rookie of the Year in 2009, teams would look to take the forwardís shot away. Moore said that it was very possible the young forward would score less, but would find a way to help the team in other areas. While Hallowellís scoring is down from 14.2 point-per-game last year to 10.5 this season, he has provided a greater contribution on the glass. After averaging 4.7 rebounds-per-game last year, Hallowell is now averaging 6.4 rebounds-per-game ó tied for the team lead along with Wickliffe. Furthermore, Hallowell is third on the team in assists. While teams have keyed on shutting down Hallowell from long range, he has found ways to contribute in other areas.
On Wednesday, the team downed Allegheny College (7-4, 10-9) 85-72. The team maintained the deft shooting touch it has found in the past few games, knocking down 51 of its shots from the field and 46 percent from downtown.
Wickliffe broke out with his biggest game of the season, pitching in a team-high 19 points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Wickliffe added in a block for good measure.
Franks tied Wickliffe with a team-high 19 points. Franks made his living at the free-throw line, where he was 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Franksís ability to go into the lane and draw fouls has made him the third-leading scorer in the NCAC. Franks also dished out eight asists against the Gators.
The Scotsí defense, which has been stingy all season, held the Gators to 42 percent shooting from the field.
The teamís early season schedule was arduous, and Moore indicated before the season started that he would not be surprised if the team fell out of the national top 25 poll because teams tend to drop out of the rankings with a few early losses. This is exactly what happened after a loss to Randolph-Macon College dropped the team to 5-4 overall. However, Moore also emphasized that he believed the tough early season schedule would help the team once it entered conference play. Mooreís analysis couldnít have been more on target ó the team hasnít lost a conference game yet. Riding a 10-game winning streak, the team has jumped to No. 21 in the national poll.
The team currently sits three games in front of second-place Wabash College (8-3, 13-6). The team will take on Wabash on Sunday. A win in Crawfordsville, Ind. would give the Scots at least a share of the NCAC regular season title and all but ensure that the NCAC Tournament would be played at the Timken Gymnasium for the sixth consecutive year.
Up to this point, everything has gone according to Mooreís plan.