ADA, OHIO  -- Sophomore All-OAC forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored 19 points and junior guard Ben Umbel (Poland/ Seminary) had his first career double-double as the Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team defeated Ohio Northern University, 75-60, today (Saturday, January 14, 2012) in an Ohio Athletic Conference game in the ONU Sports Center.

With the victory, the Yellow Jackets snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 9-6 overall and 4-4 in the OAC. The Polar Bears fell to 8-7 overall and 4-4 in the OAC.

In addition to Payne's 19 points for B-W, Umbel scored a season-high 13 points and grabbed a game and career-high 12 rebounds for his double-double. Sophomore guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Parma Heights Holy Name) chipped in 11 markers.  ONU was led by sophomore guard Branden Rushton with a game-high 24 points, senior center Scott Schnelle contributed 11 and sophomore guard Jared Horstman added 10.

The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring when Krakowiak nailed a three-pointer of the assist from senior guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria) at 19:44 for a 3-0 lead. The Polar Bears got on the board when Rushton hit a jumper with 19:31 remaining to make it 3-2.  After exchanging baskets on the next two possessions, B-W would go on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 12-6 at the 16:30 mark on a three-pointer by Umbel and baskets by Payne and Krakowiak.

The Polar Bears would go on a 6-3 run to cut the lead to four points at 15-11 on a three-pointer by senior guard Tony Meyer at 13:36. B-W would respond with a 8-0 run sparked by two three-pointers by sophomore forward Skyler Simpson (Centerburg) to push the lead to 23-11 with 11:13 remaining.

Ohio Northern would go on a 4-0 run to cut the deficit  to 23-17 as junior guard Taylor Kuhlman connected on a jumper and Rushton hit a pair from the charity stripe at the 8:48 mark, but B-W would close the half by outscoring the Polar Bears 18-5 to take a  41-22 advantage into the intermission.

In the second half, the Yellow Jackets would increase their lead to a high of  21 points at 43-22 with 18:31 left when sophomore forward Tyler Ferrell (Brunswick) made a jumper. That is when ONU began its comeback. The Polar Bears outscored B-W 30-14 during the next 12 minutes to cut the lead to five points, at 57-52, on a jumper by Rushton at the 6:41 mark.

After a three-pointer by Payne made it 60-52 with 6:06 remaining, the Polar Bears would outscore the Yellow Jackets 13-10 and got as close as four points at 69-65 with 17 seconds left. Umbel sealed the game when he split a pair of free throws with seven seconds left.

The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Wednesday, January 18 when they will host Cardinals of Otterbein University in OAC game in the Ursprung Gymnasium at 7:300 p.m.  Fans can live on campus radio station WBWC 88.3 FM "The Sting" or via the internet at www.wbwc.com.  The pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to tipoff.

Media and fans are reminded that the B-W will televise two men's and women's basketball doubleheaders on regional cable network SportsTime Ohio. The games are the January 28 doubleheader versus Wilmington and the February 18 twinbill versus Ohio Northern University. B-W has broadcast more of its athletics events on regional cable TV than any other Division III school.

FOR MORE B-W 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 B-W athletics information at www.bw.edu/athletics and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter at http://twitter.com/bwathletics.