BEREA, OHIO -- Junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference forward Kyle Brown (Strongsville) scored a game-high-tying 22 points to lift the Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team to an 80-68 victory over Cleveland cross-town rival Case Western Reserve University in the season-opener for both teams at Horsburgh Gymnasium in the Veale Center in University Heights.
With its win, B-W is 1-0 overall. With their loss, the Spartans are 0-0 overall. In addition, first-year head coach Duane Sheldon '93 earned his first coaching victory at his alma.
The Yellow Jackets built an early 7-0 lead at the 17:34 mark of the first half when Brown followed up a three-pointer with a jump shot.
Case then went on a 6-0 run which spanned 2:30 to take an 8-7 lead at the 15:04 mark when Reid Anderson connected on a jumper. The Yellow Jackets and Spartans traded leads one more time until a Brown layup gave B-W an 11-10 lead with 13:29 left in the first stanza.
The remainder of the first half was controlled by the Brown and Gold. A staunch Yellow Jacket defense forced nine Spartan turnovers over the last 13 minutes and utilized two key fast-breaks by freshman point guard Promis Cabbil (Elryia/ Senior). Sparked by momentum and a 7-2 run, B-W extended its highest lead of the first half to 15 points when senior forward Andrew Bene (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) connected on a pair of free throws with just 36 seconds to play.
In the second half, B-W extended its lead to a game-high 17 points when Bene scored the first points of the period half on a lay-up at the 19:43 mark.
CWRU went on a 10-3 run that covered 5:50 and was capped by an Anderson trey at 13:59. The Spartans would close to within seven points on three different occasions, with the last coming at the 3:57 mark of the second half when Kevin Herring connected on two free throws.
Case foul trouble allowed B-W to ice the game, as the Jackets hit on seven of eight free throws in the last :39 to seal the victory.
B-W was led by Brown who poured in 22 points on eight-of-15 shooting, including four-of-seven from long range. Bene contributed 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to seal the double-double, and senior two-time Academic All-OAC guard Dennis Santiago (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) added 12. Eleven Yellow Jackets saw action, including two freshman.
B-W shot 36.2 percent (25-of-69) from the field, 50.0 percent (seven-of-14) from three-point range, and 76.7 percent (23-of-30) from the free throw line. B-W also outrebounded Case, 43-40.
CWRU was led by Reid Anderson with 22 points and Bryan Erce with a team-high eight rebounds.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action next Friday, November 21 when they travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan and play NAIA power Spring Arbor (Mich.) College, 5-0 overall, in the first round of the Calvin (Mich.) College Tournament at 5:30 p.m.
The first home Yellow Jacket game is on Saturday, December 6 when BW hosts Capital University in the Ohio Athletic Conference opener for each team. That game will be televised by SportsTime Ohio. Air times will be announced at a later date by STO (www.sportstimeohio.com).
FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. To contact Head Coach Duane Sheldon, please call 440-826-2115 or e-mail at dsheldon@bw.edu. You can get all of the latest B-W athletics information by visiting our Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics.
