CLEVELAND, Ohio – Senior Jamir Billings stole the ball from Case Western Reserve University's Andy Barba, then found junior Jaiden Cox-Holloway in transition for the go-ahead layup with 1:07 remaining in the 13th-ranked College of Wooster men's basketball team's 83-76 win on Saturday afternoon at Horsburgh Gymnasium.
Billings had just tied the first meeting since 2002 between the former conference rivals at 76 at the free throw line before his steal. On the steal, Billings poked the ball away from Barba, beat another CWRU (3-4) player to it, then started to dribble up court. He fed the ball ahead to Cox-Holloway for assist five of the afternoon. Cox-Holloway went on to make two free throws to make it a two-possession game on Wooster's next possession.
CWRU gained its first, and only, lead of the game with 1:43 remaining. Aaron Rucker finished at the rim following a pick-and-roll that made it 76-75. Later, Umar Rashid's go-ahead 3-point try rimmed out in the final 37 seconds, and that was part of a 0-of-4 finish from the field for the Spartans.
At the onset, it was the JJ Cline show, as the Fighting Scots' hometown senior dropped in 13 points in the opening 4:47. Cline was there on Wooster's opening possession for a second-chance layup, and he buried triples on three straight possessions as part of the opening 15-9 stretch. An offensive rebound by senior Nick Everett gave Wooster a third look before Cline buried the 3-pointer that made it 15-9.
Wooster's lead was 20-6 when Billings cashed in a three-ball following the Scots' ninth offensive rebound in the opening six minutes. Wooster's lead was back to 12 when Billings' step-back jumper from the elbow swished home, and he had another early 3-pointer. Billings' triple capped Wooster's 10-of-16 start from the floor, which included a 5-of-8 go from beyond the arc.
Cline's 24 points marked a new collegiate-high, and the senior now has a pair of 20-point games. He went 10-of-14 from the floor and passed out four assists. Billings ended the day with 17 points to move to 993 for his career. Billings next steal will tie him with Wooster great Antwyan Reynolds for the most in program history at 259.
Everett shot 6-of-10 from the floor for 12 points, and he was one of four Scots with at least six rebounds. Cox-Holloway rounded out the Wooster players who hit double-digits in the scoring column with 11 points. First-year Breckman Oakley played his best collegiate game to date with nine points and six rebounds.
Wooster, which won its 25th straight game against CWRU dating back to January 23, 1991, snapped the Spartans' 16-game home winning streak. Wooster shot 48.5 percent (33-of-68) from the floor and finished with a 37-36 lead in rebounding. However, CWRU dominated the glass in the second half, as Wooster's rebounding edge was 21-9 at halftime. Wooster played turnover-free basketball in the second half and had just five for the game.
Rashid's all-around playmaking led CWRU. He scored 23 points, topped all players with 14 rebounds, and blocked three shots. Nicholas Schiavello dropped in 13 points, while Sam Trunley paired 12 points with five rebounds and three assists.
CWRU made 44.4 percent (28-of-63) of its field goals and made 11-of-32 from beyond the arc.
Next, Wooster plays DePauw University (2-5, 0-1 NCAC) at home at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 15. DePauw's Saturday game against Kenyon College was still in progress at posting time.