Payne Scores16 As B-W Men Score Season-High Points By Defeating Otterbein, 97-64

BEREA, OHIO – Sophomore All-OAC forward Kyle Payne (Brunswick) scored 16 points to lead four Baldwin-Wallace players in double figures as the Yellow Jackets defeated Otterbein University, 97-64, tonight (Wednesday, January 18, 2012) in an Ohio Athletic Conference game in the Ursprung Gymnasium inside the Lou Higgins Center. This was the final game of the first half of the OAC regular season.

The 97 points scored was a season-high and the most points scored by B-W since November 17, 2006 when it defeated Curry (Mass.) College by a final score of 110-70 in the opening game of the Alvernia (Pa.) University Tournament.

With the victory,  the Yellow Jackets won their second straight OAC contest and improved their record to 10-6 overall and 5-4 in the OAC while the Cardinals fell to 5-11 overall and 2-7 in the OAC.

In addition to Payne for the B-W, sophomore guards Grant Fairhurst (Ashland) and Kevin Krakowiak (Valley City/Holy Name) tallied 15 points. Junior guard Ben Umbel (Poland/Seminary), who was coming off his first career double-double on Saturday, added 12 points, grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out a game and career-high nine assists.  Otterbein was led by freshman guard RaNeal Ewing with 12 points and junior guard Tommy Waterwash contributed 10.

The Yellow Jackets opened the scoring, 2-0, on their second possession when Umbel scored on a layup off the assist from Krakowiak at 19:35.  The Cardinals tied the game, 2-2, on a jumper by senior guard Brice Raush with 18:28 remaining.

B-W then used 11-0 run over the next three minutes, 13-2, on layups by senior All-OAC guard Promis Cabbil (Elyria), Payne and Umbel as well as a trey from Krakowiak.  Otterbein would snap the run, 13-4, when Waterwash buried a jumper from the corner at 14:56.

After a basket by Yellow Jacket sophomore forward Aaron Selmek (Delaware/Columbus St. Francis DeSales), the teams would exchange a pair of three-pointers from B-W's Fairhurst and Waterwash of the Cardinals, 18-7, with 13:52 remaining.

After battling back and forth for the next five plus minutes, the Yellow Jackets would go on an 18-2 run to push their lead to a first-half high tying 24 points, 45-21, at the 2:54 mark.  The run was keyed by Umbel with six points and junior forward Chris Ameen (Broadview Heights/Walsh Jesuit) with five.   The 24-point lead would be met on two more occasions in the half.

B-W would close out the first half by outscoring the Cardinals 10-9 to take a 51-30 advantage into the intermission.

The Yellow Jackets would open the second half on a 10-4 run to extend its lead to 27 points, 61-34, at the 17:13 mark.  The run was sparked by Krakowiak who connected on two three-pointers and pair of free throws for eight of the 10 points.  Sophomore forward Tyler Ferrell (Brunswick) scored the other basket as he scored on a layup to start the second half scoring.

B-W would push its lead to as many as 37 points on three occasions with the last coming on a three-pointer from freshman guard Matt Solden (Mentor) 1:49 remaining. Otterbein would get as close as 21 points on tip in from junior forward Zach Bakenhaster at 18:44.  The Yellow Jackets would go on a 23-9 run after the Bakenhaster bucket to put the game out of reach

B-W is back in action on Saturday, January 21 when it will travel to Marietta to take on the Pioneers of Marietta College in OAC game in the Ban Johnson Arena at 3:00 p.m.  Fans can live on campus radio station WBWC 88.3 FM "The Sting" or via the internet at www.wbwc.com.  The pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to tipoff.  The next home game is on Wednesday, January 25 when the team will host the Student Princes of Heidelberg University in an OAC Contest in the Ursprung Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m.

Media and fans are reminded that the B-W will televise two men's and women's basketball doubleheaders on regional cable network SportsTime Ohio. The games are the January 28 doubleheader versus Wilmington and the February 18 twinbill versus Ohio Northern University. B-W has broadcast more of its athletics events on regional cable TV than any other Division III school.

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.