BEREA, OHIO – Senior two-time All-OAC forward scored Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored a game-high 22 points as the Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team defeated Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein University, 74-60, today (Saturday, January 26, 2013) in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center.
With the victory, the Yellow Jackets improved to 14-5 overall and 9-3 in the OAC. With the loss, the Cardinals dropped to 7-12 overall and 4-8 in the OAC.
In addition to Payne for BW, junior guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland) had 18 points off the bench, including shooting 6-of-10 from three-point land and junior guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/Holy Name) scored 10. Otterbein was led by junior forward Max Van Meter who scored a team-high 16 point and freshman guard Jake Bishoff added 15.
The Cardinals opened the scoring at 3-0 when Bishoff drained a three-pointer at 19:44. The Yellow Jackets quickly answered when Payne canned a three-pointer of his own to tie up the score at 3-3 with 19:21 remaining in the half.
Once again the Cardinals would answer with another three-pointer from Bishoff at the 18:24 mark as Otterbein retook the lead 6-3. Baldwin Wallace would then answer with a 12-0 run to push its lead to 15-6 when Fairhurst hit a trey at 13:39. Otterbein would end BW's run when senior guard Tommy Waterwash hit a jumper to cut into the Yellow Jacket lead 15-8 at the 10:54 mark in the half.
Baldwin Wallace responded with a 9-3 run to extend its lead to 25-10 on another three from Fairhurst with 10:35 remaining. The Cardinals would then put on a surge cutting into the Yellow Jacket lead with a 12-0 run as senior center John Finnegan would hit a sky-hook in the lane to finish off the run and make the score 25-22 at the 5:21 mark. The Yellow Jackets would then outscore the Cardinals 11-9 for the remaining five minutes to give the BW a 36-31 lead at the half.
In the second half, BW's junior forward Tyler Ferrell (Brunswick) opened the scoring on a layup at 18:42 to make the score 38-31. The Cardinals would then answer with a 4-0 run capped off by senior center Zach Bakenhaster's hook-shot at 17:55 to cut the lead down to 38-35.
The Yellow Jackets would then go on an 18-5 run as junior center Aaron Selmek (Delaware/Columbus St. Francis DeSales) hit a hook-shot at the 8:48 mark extending BW's lead to 56-40. The Cardinals would then answer with a 10-0 run capped off by Meter's layup at the 6:48 mark to cut into BW's lead at 56-50.
BW would then respond with a 10-1 run when Payne made a driving layup at 3:17 to extend its lead 66-51. Otterbein would respond with a 5-0 run as Finnegan completed a three-point play at 2:09 to make the score 66-56. The Yellow Jackets would close the game out in the final two minutes outscoring the Cardinals 8-4 and completing the 74-60 victory.
With his 22 points today, Payne now has 1,072 career points and moved into a tie for No. 28 with Ryan Sooy (1993-97), who had 1,072 points. He needs just three points to move past Brian Newland (1987-91) for 27th all-time with 1,074
The Yellow Jacket men are back in action this Wednesday, January 30 when they travel to Alliance to play University of Mount Union in the McPherson Academic & Athletic Complex at 7:30 p.m. Fans can listen to that game on campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, and via the Internet at www.bwyellowjackets.com.
The next home game is on Saturday, February 2 when BW hosts the 34th Annual Al Sirat Grotto Basketball Game against OAC foe Wilmington College at 3:00 p.m. Partial gate proceeds from that game go to benefit the Grotto's philanthropy of assisting young people afflicted with cerebral palsy. For more information, please call Grotto Chairman David Finley at 216-574-4814.
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.
