BEREA, OHIO -- Junior guard Tyler Ledford scored a game-high 19 points and led three double figure scorers as the Wilmington College men's basketball team defeated Baldwin-Wallace College, 73-68, today (Saturday, December 20, 2008) in an Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Fred Raizk Arena in Wilmington.
In addition to Ledford, Wilmington placed junior forward Brandon Rogers and junior guard R.J. Brown in double figures with 12 points each. B-W was led by junior All-OAC forward Kyle Brown (Strongsville) with 17 points and five rebounds. In addition, senior center Andrew Bene (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) had 12 points and nine rebounds and senior Academic All-OAC guard Dennis Santiago (Brook Park/ Middleburg Heights Midpark) scored 11 points.
With its win, Wilmington improves to 6-3 overall and 3-1 in the OAC. With its loss, B-W is now 2-7 overall and 0-4 in the OAC.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to an early 10-2 lead when Bene scored on a layup at the 17:04 mark. Wilmington closed to within three points at 14-11 when senior guard Kerry Wilkinson hit a three-pointer at the 13:15 mark.
B-W answered back by going on a 9-2 run and led 23-10 when Brown knocked down a trey at the 11:00 mark. The Quakers then went on a 15-4 run to close to within 27-25 capped by an Antonio Bowman jumper with 6:31 to play in the first half. The Yellow Jackets and Quakers were tied on two more occasions with the last coming at 32-32 when sophomore guard Zane Meeder (Erie, Pa./ Fairview) made a three-pointer with 2:16 left. The score also was tied at 34-34 at halftime.
In the second half, Wilmington's Brandon Rogers broke the tie with a three-pointer to give Wilmington a 37-34 lead at the 19:44 mark. B-W regained the lead at the 18:14 mark when Bene hit a layup to give the Jackets a 38-37 lead. Wilmington took a 41-40 lead when White connected on two free throws at the 15:22 mark. Bene again helped the Yellow Jackets to regain the lead at 49-48 with a layup at the 11:00 mark.
The Brown & Gold gained their largest lead of the second half at five points on two separate occasion with the last coming at 63-58 with 5:43 to play when Brown connected on a three-pointer. Wilmington utilized a 15-3 run to build its largest lead at 73-66 with 10 seconds to play.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action next Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 27-28 when they travel to Westerville, Ohio to play at the Otterbein College 'O' Club Classic. B-W plays Thomas More (Ky.) College in the first round on Dec. 27 at 8:00 p.m.
Media and fans are reminded that they can listen to almost every B-W men's and women's basketball games LIVE on campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM, and via the WBW Internet web site at www.wBW.com.
Media and fans are reminded that two more B-W men's basketball games will be televised by SportsTime Ohio (www.sportstimeohio.com). They are the January 17, 2009 home game versus Muskingum College at 3:00 p.m. and its February 18 contest at cross-town rival John Carroll University at 7:30 p.m.
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 BW athletics information by visiting our Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics.
