A strong start to each half allowed The College of Wooster, which held steady at No. 3 in this week's D3hoops.com top-25 poll, to build a lead that reached as high as 18 early in the second (55-37), then the Fighting Scots withstood a rally by Ohio Wesleyan University the last 10 minutes to secure a 79-71 victory in North Coast Athletic Conference action at Delaware, Ohio, on Wednesday night.
It was a rematch of the 2013 NCAC Tournament championship game, and Wooster (5-0, 2-0 NCAC) quickly took the upper hand this time, scoring the first four points and later constructing leads of 13-4 and 19-8. Three different Scots hit 3-pointers during that early stretch – Scott Purcell, Kenny DeBoer, and Doug Thorpe.
The teams then exchanged 10-2 runs, as Ohio Wesleyan (4-2, 1-1 NCAC) pulled within 21-18 before Purcell halted the hosts' run with another 3-ball, which also kick-started another strong stretch for Wooster, eventually bumping its advantage back to 11 (31-20).
At halftime, the Scots were ahead 39-27, thanks in part to Purcell's career-high eight points.
Wooster made two 3-pointers within the opening minute of the second stanza, and shortly thereafter, owned a 16-point margin (49-33). At the 15:03 mark, a couple of DeBoer free throws put the score at 55-37, and the Scots remained comfortably ahead for the next several minutes as it was still a 17-point game (68-51) with just over eight minutes left.
The Battling Bishops constructed their second 10-2 run of the game, getting within single digits at 70-61, and Wooster called time with 3:52 remaining.
DeBoer netted a couple of free throws out of the timeout, but Ohio Wesleyan chipped away further with back-to-back baskets, bringing the margin to seven (72-65).
The Bishops had two possessions to get closer, but both ended in turnovers, the second created by Thorpe, who alertly called timeout after securing the steal with 1:31 on the clock.
The Scots secured the win by making 7-of-10 free throws down the stretch.
Wooster overcame a season-high 14 turnovers by shooting over 50 percent from the field (.511; 24-for-47), including 10-of-20 3-pointers, while Ohio Wesleyan struggled from beyond the arc (3-for-22). The Scots also made more than 80 percent at the free throw line (.808; 21-for-26), compared to the Bishops' .421 rate there (8-for-19).
Individually, Thorpe had 18 points and five assists to lead the team in those categories, plus two steals, while Dan Fanelly and DeBoer each recorded season highs in scoring with 15 and 13 points, respectively. DeBoer collected five rebounds, and Fanelly also contributed defensively with two blocks and two steals.
Reuel Rogers countered with 18 points, eight rebounds, and two blocked shots for Ohio Wesleyan, while freshman point guard Seth Clark put together a notable stat line of 17 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals.
Wooster faces another challenge Saturday afternoon, with No. 24 ranked DePauw University (5-1, 2-0 NCAC) set to visit. Tip-off at Timken Gymnasium is scheduled for 3 p.m.