KISSIMMEE, FLA.-- Sophomore center Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/ Walsh Jesuit) scored 13 points as the Baldwin-Wallace College men's basketball team defeated non-league foe Vassar (N.Y.) College, 76-50, today (Monday, January 3, 2011) at the Kissimmee Covention Center in its first game of the annual ECAC Holiday Classic. The Yellow Jackets now face U/Mass-Boston tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 4) at 12:00 noon. The victory was B-W's second straight and the 50 points allowed is the lowest since a 65-31 victory against Dickinson (Pa.) College in 2003.
In addition to Ameen for B-W, now 5-7 overall, freshman center Aaron Selmek (Delaware/ Columbus St. Francis deSales) had career-highs of 11 points and a game and career-high eight rebounds and freshman forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) had 10 points. For Vassar, now 1-8 overall, freshman forward Evan Carberry was the only player in double figures with 10 points.
In the first half, the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 3-0 lead at the 19:53 mark when freshman guard Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/ Holy Name) made a three-pointer via an assist from junior All-Ohio Athletic Conference point guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria). Following a Vassar basket to make the score 3-2, B-W reeled off 12 straight points to build a 14-2 advantage at the 16:00 mark when Payne made a layup.
The Yellow Jackets outscored Vassar 8-4 and the lead grew to 16 points at 22-6 with 14:11 left in the half when freshman guard Grant Fairhurst (Ashland) canned a trey. The Brewers then outscored B-W 6-2 to close to within 12 points at 24-12 with 8:39 left when junior guard Caleb McGraw made a jump shot. A four-point run by B-W pushed the lead back out to 16 points at 28-12 with 7:45 left when junior guard Scott Voiers (Westlake/ Lutheran West) made a layup. The largest lead of the first stanza was 22 points on two separate occasions with the last at 41-19 at the 1:08 mark when sophomore forward Sean Rothermel (Delaware/ Hayes) mase a layup. B-W led at halftime, 43-22.
In the second half, B-W continued its assault by building the lead quickly to 29 points at 54-25 with 17:32 left when Krakowiak made a layup. The lead grew to a game-high of 36 points at 65-29 with 10:49 left whenVoiers made a layup. The closest that the Brewers would get after that point was 26 points at 76-50 with 17 seconds remaining.
Following its game tomorrow versus U/Mass-Boston, the Yellow Jackets return to Ohio and resume Ohio Athletic Conference action on Saturday, Jan. 8 when they host rival Capital University in the second game of a women's and men's doubleheader in the Rudolph Ursprung Gymnasium of the Lou Higgins Center in Berea at 4:00 p.m. The B-W and Capital women tipoff at 2:00 p.m. Fans can listen to all of the action on either campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, or via the WBWC Internet web site at www.wbwc.com.
In addition, two Yellow Jacket women's and men's basketball doubleheaders will be telecast on SportsTime Ohio this winter. The games are the January 29, 2011 twinbill versus Wilmington College and the Third Annual "Take a Kid to the Game" Day doubleheader versus Ohio Northern University on February 19, 2011.
Also on Jan. 29 when B-W plays Wilmington, it is Al Sirat Grotto Day with partial gate proceeds going to benefit the Grotto's two philanthropies of assisting handicapped children with dentistry expenses and assisting the expenses for children with cerebral palsy.
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.