WESTERVILLE, Ohio—Junior second-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Harvest Prep) led five Student Princes who scored in double-figures as the Heidelberg University men's basketball team defeated Otterbein University, 76-60, tonight in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at the Rike Center in Westerville, Ohio. Givner also added five rebounds and a game and season-high seven assists, two short of matching his career high.
In addition to Givner for Heidelberg (5-9, 3-4 OAC) junior guard Quintin Aden (Canal Winchester/Harvest Prep) scored 14 points on a six-of-eight shooting night, sophomore guard Lee Renner (Gibsonburg) tallied a career-high 11 points, sophomore forward Victor Fortkamp (St. Henry) had 10 points and a team-high six rebounds and and sophomore guard Mike Petrie (Columbus/Beechcroft) added 10 points.
Otterbein (5-9, 2-5 OAC) was led by Chris Davis with game-highs of 18 points and 15 rebounds. Brice Rausch and RaNeal Ewing each added 15 points.
The Student Princes rushed out an 18-8 lead as Givner canned a jumper at the 14:43 mark. Heidelberg maintained a double-digit lead throughout the remainder of the game, increasing its lead as many as 24 points in the first half as Forktamp made a lay-up with 5:59 on the clock to cap a 19-5 jaunt.
Heidelberg went on a 17-4 point run at the 6:29 mark with a dunk by Fortkamp to extend their lead to 35-12.
Otterbein would cut the 'Berg lead to as few as 15 points in the first half with a three-point play from Davis at the 1:30 mark.
The Cardinals outscored Heidelberg, 35-33, in the second half, but the Student Princes' hot start allowed them cruise to win.
The Berg led by as many as 19 points in the second half on four separate occasions, with the last coming at the 11:24 mark when junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) canned a jumper.
Otterbein went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 62-50 when Ewing converted a three-point play of his own with 6:58 to play, but Heidelberg rushed back out to a 68-50 lead with a pair of free throws from Givner with under six minutes on the clock to secure the victory.
The Student Princes recorded season-highs of 56.4 percent (31-of-55) shooting, 50.0 percent (nine-of-18) three point shooting and 18 assists while committing just 10 turnovers.
The Cardinals shot 33.9 percent (seven-of-32) from the field and just 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the charity stripe, but held a 39-31 rebounding advantage, including 22 offensive caroms.
Heidelberg will play its third of four consecutive road games Saturday, Jan. 14 when it takes on OAC foe the University of Mount Union in Alliance at 3 p.m.