ALMA, MICHIGAN – Junior All-OAC forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds but the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team fell to Alma (Mich.) College, 75-73, tonight (Saturday, December 1, 2012) in a non-conference game in the Art Smith Arena. This was the second road contest of the season and week for BW
With the loss, the Yellow Jackets are now 3-2 overall and open Ohio Athletic Conference play on Wednesday, December 5 when they host Ohio Northern University in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center at 7:30 p.m. With its win, Alma improves to 2-4 overall.
In addition to Payne for BW, senior forward Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/Walsh Jesuit) scored 10 points and a grabbed a game-high tying 10 rebounds and sophomore Jaron Crowe (Mentor) added 11 points, three assists and four rebounds. Alma was led by Isiah Law with a game-high 23 points.
The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring at 2-0 when Payne canned on two free throws the 18:39 mark . The Scots would come right back to tie the game 2-2 when DJ Beckman hit a jumper at 18:25. The two teams would exchange baskets to give BW a 5-4 advantage at the 17:05.
The Yellow Jackets would then go on a 4-0 run to push their lead to 9-4 on a pair of free throws from junior forward Tyler Ferrell (Brunswick) and a a basket by Payne with 16:04 remaining in the opening period. BW took its largest lead of the first half when junior guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland) hit a 3-point shot at the 9:39 mark to put the Yellow Jackets up by 13 at 26-13
Alma would cut the deficit to two points at the 4:34 mark when Greg Silverthorn hit a jumper to make the score 30-28. The two teams fought back and forth, but the Yellow Jackets were able to keep a four point lead to close out the half, 39-35, after a layup by junior All-OAC guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Holy Name).
Alma would open the second half on a 7-0 run to take a 41-39 when Law made jumper at the 17:57 mark. BW would regain its lead at 47-45 when at Crowe buried a long trey at the 15:27 mark to make the score 47-45.
Both teams would go back and forth to make the score 60-59 in favor of the Scots at 10:29. Alma would start to pull away as it went on 9-0 run to push its lead to 10 points at 69-59 at the 7:53 mark. Krakowiak would drain a three-pointer to snap the Scots run and cut the lead to and make the score 69-62 with 7:43 remaining in the game.
The Yellow Jackets would outscore the Scots 11-7 over the remainder of the game, but would come up short as they were unable to get off a shot in the final seconds.
Following its game versus Ohio Northerm, BW travels to Columbus for an OAC men's and women's doubleheader versus Capital University next Saturday, Dec. 8. The men play at 2:00 p.m. and the women tipoff at 4:00 p.m.
Fans can watch Yellow Jacket men's and women's basketball games live via webcast at http://www.bwyellowjackets.com as well as listen to all BW games on campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, and via the internet at www.bwyellowjackets.com.
FOR MORE BW 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.
