WOOSTER, Ohio – The College of Wooster withstood a late rally that saw Wilmington College cut a 15-point deficit with 4:12 remaining down to a one-possession game with :18 left, as the No. 1 ranked Fighting Scots made their final four free throws to prevail 86-79 Wednesday during the second night of the 48th annual "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic at Timken Gymnasium.
Wilmington (3-8) gave Wooster (11-0) all it could handle throughout the first half, but the Scots steadily took control in the second, owning a double-digit advantage for the majority of the last 10 minutes, including 75-60 after a couple of Matt Fegan free throws at the 4:12 mark.
Then, Antonio Bowman heated up for the Quakers, dropping in a 3-pointer and assisting on a pair of lay-ups, sandwiched around a couple of free throws by Malcolm Heard II, all of which resulted in a quick nine-point swing that pulled the visitors within two possessions (75-69).
Wooster would get the next five points, highlighted by a lay-in from Bryan Wickliffe right before the shot clock expired. The Scots again seemed in control, ahead 80-69 and with possession with just over a minute on the clock, however, Bowman created back-to-back steals, one turning into a put-back bucket by Ben Vonderhaar and the other a pull-up 3-pointer by himself with :39 on the clock.
A pair of misses from the charity stripe by Wooster ensued and Tyler White swished a trifecta, assisted by Bowman, to make it an 80-77 margin.
Quickly fouled after the in-bounds pass, Justin Hallowell calmly sunk a pair of free throws with :21 left, followed by a successful drive to the basket by Bowman to bring Wilmington within three again (82-79).
Ian Franks then went to the foul line, draining a pair at the :18 mark, and Fegan secured a rebound off a missed 3-ball from the Quakers to seal the outcome.
The first half featured seven lead changes and four ties before the Scots went into the break with a 37-34 lead.
Wilmington helped induce Wooster into a season-low .406 field-goal percentage and also was pretty effective from the floor itself at .468, the second-best rate against the Scots this year. Wooster held significant advantages at the foul line, making 26-of-32 (.813), compared to 13-of-14 for the Quakers, and in rebounding (43-29).
All five Scot starters were in double figures, led by Franks and Balch at 18 points apiece. Franks made 10-of-11 free throws, while Balch's night included 4-of-5 3-point shooting. Hallowell and Wickliffe each contributed 16 points, with Wickliffe's being a season high, and Fegan had 10 plus seven assists.
Wickliffe led Wooster's charge on the boards with nine rebounds, also a season best, and he posted three steals.
Bowman produced an impressive stat line of 29 points, seven assists, and four steals in the setback.
Wednesday's first game saw John Carroll University jump out of the gates with a 17-1 lead and then eased past Spalding University by a 100-75 count. Corey Shontz put forth a 20-point, six-assist, three-steal effort to pace the Blue Streaks, while the Golden Eagles' DeWhon McAfee countered with 20 points.
Franks, coming off a 28-point effort against John Carroll Tuesday, was selected as the two-day tournament's MVP and Hallowell nabbed top defensive honors. Balch earned a spot on the all-tourney team, as did Bowman, McAfee, Joey Meyer of John Carroll, and Shontz.
The Scots continue their busy four-game, six-day stretch with games Saturday and Sunday at the Bahama House Classic in Daytona Beach, Fla. They'll play William Carey University (8-4) Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. and City University of New York/Baruch College (6-3) on Jan. 2 at 2 p.m.