HIRAM, Ohio – Sophomore center David Thompson (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) scored a career-high 21 points to lead four players in double-figures as the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team picked up an 80-78 road win at Hiram College on Saturday afternoon at Price Gymnasium.
The Spartans improve to 4-2 and return to action this Wednesday, December 7 at Allegheny College at 7:30 p.m. in Meadville, Pennsylvania. Hiram falls to 2-3.
In addition to Thompson, junior forward Austin Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Birmingham Brother Rice) and freshman forward Dane McLoughlin (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Preparatory) scored 18 and 16, respectively. Freshman guard Julien Person (Houston, Texas/Second Baptist) totaled career-highs of 10 points and seven assists, while senior forward Tom Summers (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Jamaal Watkins led the Terriers with a game-high 31 points and 10 rebounds.
Hiram led for most of the first half with the Spartans grabbing their only lead of 18-17 as junior guard Robert Scott (Paoli, Pa./Conestoga) nailed a three-pointer with 13:00 left before intermission. The Terriers came back with a 9-0 run and led 26-18 when Aaron Stefanov scored a fast-break layup at 10:40. Hiram's advantage then grew to 11, at 42-31, as Andrew Weigand hit one-of-two free throws with 2:55 remaining in the half. Undaunted, the Spartans finished the period on an 11-4 run with freshman guard Ken Gibbons (Cairnbrook, Pa./Shade) hitting a three-pointer to bring the score to 46-42 with 16 seconds remaining.
In the second half, Hiram opened on an 8-0 run and led by a game-high 12 points, at 54-42, when Watkins hit a jumper in the paint with 17:42 left to play. The Spartans battled back with a 20-7 run and eventually grabbed the lead following a McLoughlin jumper that made the score 62-61 with 10:06 remaining on the clock. Case's lead grew to four when freshman guard Joe Mims (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) sunk a triple to make the score 67-63 at 7:11.
Hiram came back with a 9-4 spurt and momentarily led by one as Alan Sheppard hit a layup that made the score 72-71 with 3:36 left to play. The Spartans quickly responded with five straight to move ahead 76-72 as Fowler nailed a jumper with 2:26 remaining. Case was then able to hit four free throws down the stretch and withstood a Hiram three-point attempt at the buzzer to even its road record at 1-1 for the season.
For the game, the Spartans shot a season-best 59.6 percent (31-of-52).