Miles Rochester
Contributing Writer
The Wooster Fighting Scots basketball team faced off against Ohio Wesleyan’s Battling Bishops this past Saturday, Feb. 5 in Timken Gymnasium. The Scots found themselves in need of a win to bolster their chances at the NCAC regular season title and they did not disappoint, defeating a tough Ohio Wesleyan team 74-69 and claiming second place in the NCAC.
The Scots kicked off the scoring with a made layup by guard Najee Hardaway ’22, but soon after, the Bishops fired back with a made three. The start of Wooster’s dominant performance came after forward Elijah Meredith ’24 went on to score 10 points in four consecutive possessions. After four minutes, the Scots had their first three-point lead of the game thanks to back-to-back threes made by Meredith, both of which were assisted by guard Jamir Billings ’25.
The Bishops, in need of an answer to the Scots’ efficient offense and rapidly toughening defense, called a timeout. An answer was not found, and instead, Wooster went on to score unanswered in back-to-back possessions. With 12:25 on the clock, Wooster’s Hamilton Johnson ’22 sank a three, granting the Scots their first double-digit lead of the competition. The Scots did not stop firing from downtown, and not even a minute later, Billings shot and nailed it from beyond the arch. A lot of Wooster’s offensive ability came from the fact that the Scots were not shying away from the dirty work, as they outmatched their opponents statistically in nearly every category. According to Meredith, there was no game-defining moment, but instead “there were multiple plays that [the Scots] as a team picked out and [said], ‘these are winning plays’.” Thanks to these plays and the grit they displayed, the Scots went into the half-time break with a decisive 41-29 lead with a whopping eight offensive rebounds and 46% shooting compared to Ohio Wesleyan’s 40%.
When the second half began, the Scots came out of the locker room and picked up right where they left off, obviously not content with the 11-point lead that they had worked to obtain. In a similar fashion to the first half, the scoring was initiated by Hardaway. The Wooster men did not expect Ohio Wesleyan to give in, and they were correct in assuming so. The Bishops matched the Scots’ intensity by trading points in consecutive possessions, and even went on to score unanswered points in back-to-back possessions.
As the spirits of the visitors rose, Hardaway put an end to the Bishops’ rally and sparked a Scot solution with a made jumper of his own. On the other end of the floor, a missed three-pointer gathered by Billings and dished to guard Carter Warstler ’24 for three put the Fighting Scots up by 15 points with just over 16 minutes remaining. Wooster continued to get work done on both ends of the court and succeeded in maintaining their two-digit lead up until the final three minutes when the Bishops prepared to make a comeback. The last time the Bishops and the Scots met, Wooster’s men were in a similar situation and let the game slip through their hands. This time, even as Ohio Wesleyan scored nine unanswered points to bring the game within five points, Wooster’s Scots maintained their composure. On their next possession, forward Turner Kurt ’23 found Meredith for the and-one dunk that Meredith would soon convert to bring the Scots’ lead back to eight. Despite the admirable effort made by the Battling Bishops, it was not enough to beat the Scots on their home turf as Wooster won 74-69. Meredith’s 19 points and eight rebounds led the Scots, while Billing’s six assists contributed to the Scot’s offensive success.
Wooster’s men’s basketball program has had its struggles due to injuries, but they refuse to let their setbacks define them. Instead, they approach their problems with a “next man up mindset” according to Meredith: “a lot of the team is young and has never experienced a full season of college basketball so most of [them] are learning a lot this year”. And what a year of learning it has been. With last Saturday’s win in the books, the men’s basketball team moves to 11-3 in the NCAC, only topped by Wabash, who currently sit at 12-1. With a big week ahead of them, if the Scots play to their full potential, there will be no opponent prepared to deal with them.
Wooster’s men’s basketball is looking to continue their winning streak away on Tuesday, Feb. 8 when the Scots take on the Allegheny Gators.