By: Athletic Communications Student Assistant Paige Phillips '23
BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team defeated Ohio Northern University in a double overtime Ohio Athletic Conference game by a final score of 91-85 in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.
Junior All-OAC guard Anthony Mazzeo (North Canton/Massillon Jackson) led the Yellow Jackets (12-8, 7-6 OAC) with 28 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Jake Snyder (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) tallied 22 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds. Junior forward Jackson Simmons (Wadsworth/Wadsworth) earned a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
ONU (8-12, 2-11 OAC) was led by senior All-OAC guard Brandon Waugh with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Junior froward Adam Scott had 20 points, six rebounds, and one assist.
ONU kicked off the game with an early 10-3 lead. The Yellow Jackets were able to catch up and flip the lead at 12-13 with 12:19 remaining. The Polar Bears quickly took the lead again, but BW kept the game close. ONU pulled forward with an 8-0 run, and with 2:05 remaining the Polar Bears held a seven-point lead. BW cut their lead down to 38-34 before heading into the half.
The second half started off with back-and-forth scoring action from both sides. BW trailed closely behind the Polar Bears until Mazzeo hit a three-point jump shot to put the Yellow Jackets in the lead. BW worked to pulled ahead, but Ohio Northern kept the score tight. With 7:16 remaining Mazzeo and Simmons shared an 8-0 run to expand the Yellow Jackets lead to 11 points. The Polar Bears began to climb back, cutting the score down to 63-64 with 2:59 remaining. Following a BW time out, Ohio Northern flipped the lead by one point and a pair of free throws pushed them ahead with just 0:27 left in the game. Snyder hit a three-point jump shot to tie the score just before the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
Two minutes into overtime, the Polar Bears took the lead with a pair of free throws. BW notched a free throw, but ONU responded with a three-point jump shot to gain a four-point lead. A layup from Simmons cut the score down to 72-70 with 2:20 remaining. Snyder then tied the game yet again with a pair of free throws. With 0:43 left, another ONU three pointer put them in the lead. After some back-and-forth scoring action, the Polar Bears held a two-point lead with just six seconds remaining until Snyder tied the game for a third time and forcing a second overtime.
Simmons scored a pair of layups to kick off the second overtime. ONU put up a point, but the Yellow Jackets were quick to respond. The Yellow Jackets were able to build up a seven-point lead after an 8-3 run with 0:26 seconds left. ONU worked to cut BW's lead but a final free throw from sophomore guard Luke Driscoll (Carmel, Calif./Stevenson School) gave BW the double overtime victory at home at 85-91.
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action on Saturday, February 12th when they travel to New Concord, Ohio to take on Muskingum University in the second game of an OAC men's and women's doubleheader at 4:00 p.m. on the Performance Court inside the Anne C. Steele Center.
