BEREA, OHIO -  Freshman guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/Holy Name) scored a career-high 19 points as the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team fell to Otterbein University, 74-71, tonight (Wednesday, January 19, 2011) in an Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Rike Center in Westerville.

The Yellow Jackets, now 7-9 overall and 3-6 in the OAC, received another career-high scoring performance from sophomore forward Sean Rothermel (Delaware/Hayes) with 10 points while  junior All-OAC guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria/Senior) added 16 points. Freshman forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) rounded out the double figure scorers with 15 points.  Otterbein, now 7-9 overall and 3-6 in the OAC, was led by junior center Chris Davis scored a game-high 25 points.

In the first half, Otterbein jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the 19:38 mark when Davis layed in the first basket of the game.  After Otterbein built a 4-2 lead, BW took its first lead at 16:55 when Krakowiak made his first of five three-pointers in the first stanza.

Otterbein regained the lead, 11-7, at 13:37 before BW went on a 7-0 run to take the lead with 12:10 left in the half when Cabbil made two foul shots. BW continued its run with a 6-1 run to build its eight point lead at 20-12 with 10:51 left when Rothermel made two free throws. The Cardinals went on a 15-6 run to regain the lead at 27-26 with 5:13 left when junior wing Brice Rausch made a layup.

The Yellow Jackets closed the half on a 11-2 run to build its largest lead of 10 points at 39-29 when Krakowiak canned his fifth trey with 27 seconds left in the period.

In the second half, Otterbein jumped out to a 16-5 run to regain the lead 45-44 with 14:37 left in play when Davis made a jumper. Seconds after the tie of 46-46, BW went on a 5-2 run with 13:01 left when freshman guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland/Senior) made a three pointer.

After a 56-56 tie, BW outscored the Cardinals 11-5 to take a 67-61 lead with 3:49 left when Cabbil made a pair of free throws. Otterbein then outscored the Yellow Jackets 8-1 to retake the lead at 69-68 with 1:32 left when Rausch made a layup. Otterbein's lead grew to four points with 16 seconds left when Davis made three free throws. BW  closed to 72-71 with 10 seconds left when Payne hit a three pointer. Otterbein closed the scoring when freshman guard Matt McCollister made two free throws with nine seconds left in the game. BW had one last chance when Krakowiak pulled up for a last attempt three pointer when it rimmed in and out to end the game.
 
The BW men return to action this Saturday, Jan. 22, when it hosts OAC-rival Marietta College in the nightcap of a women's and men's doubleheader in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center at 4:00 p.m. The BW and Marietta women tipoff at 2:00 p.m. 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

In addition, two BW women's and men's basketball doubleheaders will be telecast on SportsTime Ohio this winter. The games are the January 29, 2011 twinbill versus Wilmington College and the Third Annual Take a Kid to the Game Day doubleheader versus Ohio Northern University on February 19, 2011.

Also on Jan. 29 when the Yellow Jackets play Wilmington, it is Al Sirat Grotto Day with partial gate proceeds going to benefit the Grotto's two philanthropies of assisting handicapped children with dentistry expenses and assisting the expenses for children with cerebral palsy.

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.