Payne Scores 24 as B-W Beats Cross-Town Rival JCU, 78-62
Box Score | Updated Season Statistics
BEREA, OHIO – Sophomore forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored 24 points as the Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team defeated Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University, 78-62, tonight (Wednesday, February 8 2012) in a key Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center. The victory ended a seven-game losing streak to the Blue Streaks and increased B-W's series advantage to 57-52.
With its win, B-W improved to 14-8 overall and 9-6 in the OAC and has won six of its last eight games. With its loss, JCU dropped to 15-6 overall and 10-5 in the OAC and lost its second straight game.
In addition to Payne for B-W, junior guard Ben Umbel (Poland/ Seminary) had scored 11 points and junior forward Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/ Walsh Jesuit) had 10. JCU was led by senior forward Mark Hester with 17 points and senior guard Corey Shontz had 14.
JCU opened the scoring at 19:40 mark when senior guard Joey Meyer made a layup. After a pair of lead changes, the Blue Steaks grabbed an 8-5 lead at 17:24 when Hester made a layup. B-W then went on a 6-0 run to take an 11-8 lead when Payne scored three straight baskets with the last coming at 13:42.
JCU climbed back into the game with a 9-2 run to close to 28-24 when Shontz made a jump shot at 3:10. The deficit closed to 28-26 at 2:13 when Hester grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. B-W got the final point of the stanza when freshman guard Jaron Crowe (Mentor) made a long-range triple with 55 seconds left and gave B-W a 31-26 halftime lead.
In the second half, each team scored a basket before B-W went on a 7-0 run to rebuild its 11-point lead at 40-29 when Crowe made another three-pointer at 16:44. The lead again grew to 16 points at 52-36 when Umbel made a three-pointer at 12:25.
The lead went to 17 at 58-41 when Payne made a triple at 9:45 and again at 60-43 when Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Holy Name) canned a jumper at 8:11. The closest JCU would get after that point was 10 points at 62-52 with 5:13 left when Hester dunked. B-W gained its largest lead of 18 points when sophomore guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland/ Senior) made two foul shots with 35.6 seconds left for a 78-60 lead.
The Yellow Jackets are back in action on Saturday, February 11 when they will host first place Capital University in an OAC game in the Ursprung Gym at 3:00 p.m. Fans can listen to the game live on the internet at http://real.bw.edu/ramgen/broadcast/WBWC_LIVE.rm. The pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to tipoff.
Media and fans are reminded that the B-W will televise its Feb. 18 men's and women's basketball doubleheader versus Ohio Northern University on SportsTime Ohio. The game will be shown on STO on Feb. 18 at 9:00 p.m. B-W has broadcast more of its athletics events on regional cable TV than any other Division III school.
In addition on Feb. 18, the B-W men will host the Fourth Annual "Take a Kid to the Game" Day. Children up to the eighth grade will be admitted for free when accompanied by an adult. Prior to its 4:00 tipoff versus ONU, children can have their faces painted by the B-W Cheerleaders or can play games with the cheerleaders and "Stinger", the Yellow Jacket mascot. Following the game, B-W student-athletes and coaches will be available to sign autographs.
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.