Travis Marmon
Sports Editor
The Wooster men’s basketball team made a statement on Saturday as it took down archrival Wittenberg University 60-41 in Springfield, Ohio. The Scots have a new look this year, but their defense dominated the Tigers, who have traditionally been one of the better teams in the NCAC.
Wooster held Wittenberg to a staggeringly bad 16-of-56 from the field, including four three-pointers on 18 attempts. The offense was hot, shooting 23-of-45 from the field and led by 12 points from Xavier Brown ’15. Jake Mays ’13 had the best all-around game, contributing 10 points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot.
Mays hit a layup in the middle of the first half to put the Scots up 16-4, and they never looked back. A 16-12 deficit was as close as the Tigers could get for the rest of the game, as Wooster simply overpowered them. The Scots ended the first half on a 14-4 run to go into the locker room ahead 30-16.
Wooster maintained a double-digit lead for the entirety of the second half, never leading by less than 14. The Scots earned their largest lead of the game with three minutes to play in the game, when Doug Thorpe ’14’s layup put the team ahead 58-33.
Not everything went perfectly for Wooster. The team committed 19 turnovers, which could have cost them if the game had been closer. Despite the turnovers, the Tigers failed to score a single point on the fast break. Wooster also outrebounded them 41-25.
This victory was the most complete one for the Scots on their four-game road trip, during which they went undefeated, improving their record to 5-1 on the season (2-0 NCAC). Wooster beat Baldwin-Wallace College 81-74 on Nov. 20; Oberlin College 74-66 on Nov. 25; and Ohio Northern University 67-56 on Nov. 28. The Scots will play their final home game of the semester tomorrow when they take on conference rival Wabash College at 2 p.m. in Timken Gymnasium.
Over winter break, Wooster will travel to Kenyon College on Dec. 14, then travel to Lexington, Ky. to play Transylvania University on Dec. 18 and the College of Mount St. Joseph on Dec. 19.
Wooster will host John Carroll University on Dec. 28 and Marietta College on Dec. 29, then open the new year on the road at Sheridan College (Canada) on Jan. 4 and Hiram College on Jan. 9.