CLEVELAND – Despite a career-high 24 points from freshman point guard Jimmy Holman (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), the Case Western Reserve University men's basketball team lost a back-and-forth contest with cross-town rival Baldwin Wallace University, 78-76, on Wednesday night inside Horsburgh Gymnasium.

The Spartans drop to 3-2 overall and will return to action this Saturday, December 1 at Oberlin College at 4:00 p.m. With the win, the Yellow Jackets improve to 3-1.  

Holman shot 10-of-18 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range. Junior center David Thompson (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior) added 14 points, and senior forward Austin Fowler (Farmington Hills, Mich./Brother Rice) recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 boards.

Case maintained a tight early advantage and it wasn't until the 12:59 mark of the first half when BW grabbed its first lead on a Justin Roth layup that made the score 12-11. The Yellow Jacket lead later grew to five, 19-14, but the Spartans tied the game when Holman hit a three-pointer at 8:22 and a jumper at 6:53. BW quickly moved back in front and held a slim lead until the final second of the half when Holman nailed a triple at the buzzer to tie the score at 34-34.

In the second half, the Spartans scored the opening points with an "old-fashioned" three-point play courtesy of Thompson at 18:37, but BW scored the next four and led 38-37 following a Jaron Crowe layup at 18:28.

The visitor's lead grew to five, 44-39, with two Kyle Payne free throws at 15:27, but Thompson once again converted a three-point play with 14:08 remaining to spark a 13-4 run. Sophomore forward Dane McLoughlin (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Preparatory) closed the run and made the score 52-48 on a tip-in with 11:29 left to play. 

The Spartans' lead then reached a game-high seven, at 59-52, after a Holman jumper at 8:31, but BW rallied with an 8-0 run that culminated in a Crowe triple with 6:59 remaining. The two sides then went back-and-forth before the Yellow Jackets created some breathing room with a 12-2 run that made the score 72-64 as Grant Fairhurst hit a pair of charity tosses with 4:10 left on the clock.

The Spartans got as close as two on a pair of Fowler free throws with 54 seconds remaining, and a stop on the defensive end gave the hosts a chance at the tie. However, a McLoughlin layup at the 10-second mark rattled out, and BW got two free throws from Krakowiak to make the score 78-74. Holman hit another layup to bring the score to 78-76 with 1.3 ticks remaining, but the Yellow Jackets were able to inbound the ball and run the clock out.

BW had three in double figures led by Payne and Krakowiak with 18 and 15, respectively.

Following Saturday's game at Oberlin, the Spartans return home to host Allegheny College (Pa.) on Wednesday, December 5 at 7:00 p.m.