Jan. 30 – Hiram, Ohio – The Hiram College men's basketball team used an efficient shooting night, as well as a tenth double-double from Kelvin Jones, to upend Oberlin College, 79-70, on Monday evening.
The Terriers (9-10, 6-6 NCAC) finished the game shooting 31-of-54 from the field (.574) and 12-of-13 from the charity stripe. The performance marked the seventh time this season in which Hiram has shot over 50% from the field. It was also their third-highest percentage of the season.
Jones was once again a dominating presence, finished the outing with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The Nation's leader in field-goal percentage was once again efficient, finishing the night 7-of-9 from the field and 8-of-9 from the line.
The team's played tight through the first 10 minutes, with Oberlin staking themselves to a five-point advantage (15-10) at the 11:17 mark of the opening stanza.
Hiram would take control of the half, embarking on a 21-7 swing that encompassed eight minutes of game time. Trailing by three points (17-14), Jeremiah Thomas pulled the game back within one to start the run. Paul Ortiz would then give the Terriers the quick advantage, knocking down back-to-back triples.
Following three-point play by Oberlin's Eli Silverman-Lloyd which cut the game to two (22-20), Hiram would pushed ahead with a 9-2 swing, including fast-break buckets by Terrence Warren and Thomas. Freshman Daniel Aultman then capped the run with a three of his own, and Hiram led 31-22 with 3:55 to play.
The visiting Yeomen would not go away, outscoring the Terriers 10-6 over the remainder of the half to cut the lead to five heading into the break.
Hiram would push the lead back to double figures in the first four minutes of the second half, using a 14-6 run to extend the advantage to 13 (51-38). Jones scored four of his 14 second-half points in the run, while Rice added five to the swing.
Oberlin would continue to stay within striking distance, but would get no closer than nine points (62-53) at the 9:37 mark.
The Terriers would put the game away by running the lead back out to a game-high 17 points with a 15-7 run (77-60) and would hold on for the nine-point victory.
Hiram did the majority of their damage in the paint, scoring 12 of their 15 points around the basket. Five different Terriers scored in the run, including two buckets, each, from Thomas and Jones.
Throughout the game, the Hiram lived inside, scoring 48 of their points in the paint, including 30 in the second half. The good shot selection helped the Terriers shoot 64% (18-28) in the closing 20 minutes.
Jones led the way for Hiram with a game-high 22, while Jeremiah Thomas added 14 points. Since being inserted into the starting lineup four games ago, Thomas is averaging 10.2 points per game while shooting .486 from the field.
Other leaders for the Terriers included 11 points from Ortiz, nine from Rice and six points and five assists from Warren. Ortiz finished the game 3-of-6 from outside the arc and has now connected on a three-point basket in 18 of the 19 games.
Hiram will continue a four-game home stand when they play host to the Little Giants of Wabash College. The matchup is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.