COLUMBUS, OHIO - Freshman guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland/ Senior) scored 16 points as the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team upset Capital University, 64-61, today (Saturday, February 12, 2011) in the Capital Center in Columbus. The BW win ended an eight-game losing streak.
With its win, BW improves to 8-15 overall and 4-12 in the OAC. In addition to Fairhurst for the Yellow Jackets, freshman forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) had 15 points, freshman guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Parma Heights Holy Name) had 13 and junior All-OAC point guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria) had 10. Capital, now 15-8 overall and 10-6 in the OAC, was led by senior guard D.J. Frazier with a game-high 18 points.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 7-0 lead at the 17:55 mark when Fairhurst made a three-pointer. After Capital went on a 5-0 run to close to 7-5 with 16:00 left, Fairhurst made a layup at 14:50, was fouled and made the free throw for a 10-5 lead. BW's first 10 points were scored by Fairhurst.
Undaunted, Capital went on a 6-0 run to take the lead at 11-10 with 8:31 left when senior forward Scott Robertson made a layup. BW regained the lead at 12-11 at the 7:36 mark when sophomore center Aaron Selmek (Delaware/ Columbus St. Francis DeSales) made a layup, but it was short-lived when Capital's senior guard D.J. Frazier made a layup at 7:27 to give them back the lead at 13-12.
Capital built its lead to three points twice before the game was tied at 20-20 and 22-22. After the Crusaders gained a 23-22 lead via a foul shot, BW junior All-OAC point guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria) gave the Yellow Jackets their final lead of the stanza at 24-23 with 1:37 left when he canned a pair of charity tosses. Capital would outscore BW 7-2 the remainder of the half and gained a 30-26 lead at the intermission when Frazier made a layup with two seconds remaining.
In the second half, BW opened on a 6-0 run to take the lead at 32-30 when Payne made a layup at 18:40. After Capital tied the score at 32-32, BW regained the lead at 34-32 with 17:48 left when Cabbil made two foul shots. After three straight points by the Crusaders gave them a 35-34 lead, BW received a three-pointer from Krakowiak at 15:53 and Payne made a layup at 14:58 to give BW a four-point lead at 39-35.
Capital came right back with a 5-0 run to retake the lead at 40-39 with 12:48 left when sophomore guard Mitch Westerheide made a three-pointer. Krakowiak gave the lead back to BW at 41-40 with 11:44 left when he made a jumper. After two lead changes and a tie at 44-44, Fairhurst gave BW back the lead at 47-44 with a trey at 10:24. Then Capital scored four straight points to take a 48-47 lead, but Fairhurst gave the lead back to BW at 50-48 when he canned another triple at 9:08. The lead grew to three points at 51-48 when senior guard Taylor Roth (Sandusky/ St. Mary's Central Catholic) made one of two foul shots at 8:38.
Following a basket by Capital, BW regained its three-point lead at 53-50 when Cabbil made two more foul shots at 6:59, The Crusaders came right back to tie it at 53-53, but Krakowiak gave the lead back to BW at 56-53 with a three-pointer at 4:39. Capital again came back to tie it at 56-56 when sophomore forward Spencer Niekamp made a triple at 3:58.
The Yellow Jackets regained the lead at 57-56 with 3:07 left when Payne made one of two foul shots. The Crusaders came back again and took a 58-57 lead when Frazier made a pair of free throws at the 2:05 mark. It was BW's turn to grab a 59-58 lead at the 1:45 mark when sophomore transfer guard Ben Umbel (Poland/ Seminary) scored via a layup. Then it was Capital�s turn to regain the lead at 60-59 when sophomore guard Michael Sommer dunked at the 1:34 mark.
Krakowiak then tied the game at 60-60 when he made one of two foul shots at 1:19. BW moved back in front at 62-60 with 48 seconds left when Capital missed its shot attempt, Cabbil grabbed the rebound, was fouled and made two charity tosses. Following another missed Capital shot, Umbel rebounded and was fouled. He made one of two foul shots at the 31-second mark for a 63-60 lead. With 24 seconds left, Frazier was fouled and made one of two shots to close the gap to 63-61.
Following Frazier's missed second foul shot, BW sophomore forward Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/ Walsh Jesuit) grabbed the rebound and then missed both foul shots with 22 seconds left. Following a Frazier missed field goal attempt, Umbel grabbed the rebound with 10 seconds left and was fouled. At the line, Umbel made his first shot for a 64-61 lead and Capital called a timeout. Following the timeout, Umbel missed his second free throw attempt. Capital had one more chance to tie but its shot was off target and BW prevailed.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, February 16 when they host OAC arch-rival the University of Mount Union in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center at 7:30 p.m. In addition, fans can listen to all of the action on either campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM, or via the WBW Internet web site at www.wBW.com
On Saturday, Feb. 19, the BW women and men host Ohio Northern University in a doubleheader in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center. That twinbill will be taped and televised by SportsTime Ohio. The women tipoff at 2:00 p.m. and the men at 4:00 p.m.
In addition on Feb. 19 , the men's game is the Third Annual Take a Kid to the Game Day. All children from first through eighth grades will be admitted free of charge when accompanied by a parent or adult. Prior to the game there will face-painting with the BW cheerleaders as well as games for the kids to play. Following the BW versus ONU men's game, there will be an autograph session with Yellow Jacket players and coaches.
FOR MORE SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail at kruple@bw.edu or Assistant SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu. Fans can access the latest BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.
