BEREA, OHIO – Senior two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored a game-high 17 points as the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team won its 10th straight game as it defeated OAC rival and first place Capital University, 79-67, today in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium in the Lou Higgins Center.

This was the nightcap of a women's and men's doubleheader that will be televised by SportsTime Ohio.  The women's game also will air on STO on Saturday night at 11:00 p.m. and again on Monday, January 21 at 7:00 a.m.  The men's game will air on Saturday night at 9:00 p.m., on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4:00 p.m. and on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7:00 a.m.

With its victory, BW improved to 13-4 overall and 8-2 in the OAC and is now tied with Capital for second place. With its loss, Capital dropped to 11-6 overall and 8-2 in the OAC and lost for the second straight time. Marietta College, which defeated Wilmington College, 98-87, today, leads the OAC at 9-1.

In addition to Payne for BW, junior All-OAC guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Parma Heights Holy Name) had 15 points and both sophomore point guard Jaron Crowe (Mentor) and senior two-time Academic All-OAC forward Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/ Walsh Jesuit), who came off the bench, had 11 apiece.  With his 17 points today, Payne now has 1,033 career points and moved into 32nd place on the 1000-Point Club.

Today, Payne passed BW greats Jerry Schrock (1960-63) and Roland Gordan (1962-64), who each had 1,021 points.  Capital placed four players in double figures and was led by senior forward Spencer Niekamp with 14 points.
 
The Crusaders jumped out to an early, 5-0 lead at the 18:14 mark when senior guard Tim Congrove made a three-pointer. BW came right back with a 9-2 run to take a 9-7 lead at 13:43 when Ameen grabbed an offensive rebound and scored.

After the game was tied at 12-12, 17-17 and 19-19, BW went on an 8-2 run to take a 27-21 lead when Ben Umbel (Poland/ Seminary) drove the baseline and scored at 4:51. After a Capital basket, senior Academic All-OAC guard Umbel pushed the lead to seven  at 30-23 with a triple at 3:57.

Capital cut the lead to 30-27 at 2:25 when a Niekamp jumper curled into the basket, but BW outscored the Crusaders 10-3 and took a 40-30 lead one second before the intermission when Krakowiak canned his third three-pointer of the first stanza.

BW opened the second half on an 8-4 run to take a 48-34 lead at 16:40 when Payne canned a three.  Capital came back with a 26-13 run to close to within one point on two separate occasions with the last at 61-60 with 5:49 left. BW came right back with a back-breaking, 10-0 run to take a commanding, 71-60 lead with 1:54 left when Crowe made a driving layup.

In the second half, BW went on an 8-4 run to take a 48-34 lead at 16:40 when Payne nailed a triple. Capital then outscored the Yellow Jackets 26-13 to close to within one point at 61-60 with 5:49 left when sophomore forward Andrew Bolka made a jumper.

Undaunted, BW came right back with a back-breaking 10-0 run to build a 71-60 lead with 1:54 left when Crowe made a driving layup. The closest Capital got after that point was nine point.

The Yellow Jacket men are back in action on Wednesday, January 23 when they travel to Ada, Ohio to play Ohio Northern University in an OAC game in the ONU Sports Center at 7:30 p.m.  

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.