By: Athletic Communications Student Intern Andrew Zimmerman '22

BEREA, Ohio – The Baldwin Wallace University men's basketball team traveled to Wilmington College in the men's first away contest in the Ohio Athletic Conference and left with their first conference victory by a final score of 78-66 at the Fred Raizk Arena at Wilmington, Ohio 

BW (5 – 2, 1-1 OAC) was led by sophomore All-OAC guard Drew Wennes (Huron) with a career high 29 points and career high 10 rebounds. Junior guard Jake Snyder (Akron/Archbishop Hoban) also reached career highs in points, rebounds and assists, scoring 22 points, securing 7 rebounds and dishing out six assists. Freshman guard Ashton Price (Bay Village/Bay) as he had a career-high 13 points. Defensively, the Yellow Jackets were led by sophomore forward Christian Pfeiffer (Amherst) who reached a career high in blocks, blocking 6 shots.

Wilmington (2-4, 0-1 OAC) was led by senior guard Jeffery Mansfield with 18 points and freshman guard Bryce Bird with 10 points and 3 rebounds.

It was the tale of two halves as the game started off slowly for both teams with little to no scoring action in the first ten minutes of the game. The Quakers were able to build a small lead at 13-10 halfway through the half. However, an 8-0 run expanded their lead to 28-16 with 6:34 left in the half. Snyder hit two threes to end the run and cut the Wilmington lead in half. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way and the Quakers took a 35-30 lead into the half.

The second half of the game was a completely different game as both teams came out of the half in a scoring frenzy. Wennes came out hot as he had seven of the first nine points of the half for BW. Both teams traded leads throughout the first 10 minutes of the half until a Snyder 3-point shot put the Yellow Jackets ahead at 59-55 with 6:37 left in the game. From then on, BW never let up and played strong defense, only allowing 11 points, and forcing multiple turnovers which were key to the victory. The offense stayed hot throughout the end of the game as they took home a 78-66 victory.

The Yellow Jackets return to action back home in Berea on Sunday, December 12th  when they host an OAC opponent in Marietta College in the second game of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader at 5:00 p.m. in the Ursprung Gymnasium.