WOOSTER, Ohio – Senior Nick Everett became the third Fighting Scot to reach 1,000 collegiate points this season, and the sixth-ranked College of Wooster men's basketball team surged late to hold off the University of Pittsburgh Bradford 114-96 on Sunday afternoon at Timken Gymnasium.
Wooster, now 11-0, saw its 21-point E.M. "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic lead trimmed to 92-88 with 6:32 remaining in the game. The Scots responded with a 22-8 run, starting with junior EJ Kapihe's layup at 6:13. Yet, the most impressive stretch started with senior Jamir Billings' fourth steal of the night at 3:57. The program's all-time steals leader poked the ball away from Jamarion Butler, and that led to Billings having a breakaway fastbreak layup.
Billings' breakaway started a stretch of six straight made Wooster field goals that capped the game. Two electric dunks from first-year Breckman Oakley headlined the closing stretch. The first-year secured his collegiate-best 13th rebound of the night following a junior Jaiden Cox-Holloway block. The first-year slammed home his first dunk in transition. Then, his second dunk made it 108-94, and Bradford (8-1) did not even make an effort to contest the drive. Oakley found Cox-Holloway for Wooster's third dunk of the closing stretch that made it 114-96 inside the final minute. Oakley's 14th rebound followed Kapihe's block on Butler and led to the fastbreak points.
Wooster poured in 62 points in the opening half, marking the 17th time in program history hitting 60, and the first since dropping 65 on Allegheny College in 2017. Everett's 16 points led Wooster. He scored his 1,000th collegiate point at the charity stripe with 4:32 to go before halftime to join Billings and Ashton Price as Scots to hit the 1,000-point milestone this season. Everett's free throws started Wooster's 11-0 run, which put the Scots up 59-38. Billings made a second-chance layup following an offensive rebound from junior Isaiah Johnson. Later, Billings capped the run with a pullup jumper.
Kapihe led Wooster with a career-high 24 points. The junior went 8-of-11 from the floor and a perfect 8-of-8 at the line. He added six rebounds and had one of Wooster's five blocked shots. Everett's 22 points matched his season-high. The fifth-year senior was 7-of-9 from the floor and 8-of-11 at the line. Everett accounted for four of Wooster's 16 steals. Billings was a third Scot at 20 points. The senior had a double-double, thanks to 11 rebounds, and he had five steals and four assists on the Sunday line. Oakley's first collegiate double-double featured 14 rebounds and 11 points.
Wooster shot a season-high 60 percent from the floor at 39-of-65. Wooster's 49 rebounds were 21 more than Bradford's 28. Wooster's 114 points rate as the 15th-most in program history and the top total since the Scots scored 117 against Hiram College in 2008. Wooster had 20 fastbreak points, but was slowed on occasion by Bradford's press, which caused 20 turnovers.
Butler's 33 points led all players. Bradford's leading scorer was followed by Jeremy Rodriguez, who scored 17 off the Panthers' bench. Bradford shot 44.4 percent (36-of-81) for the game.
In Sunday's second game, Babson College cruised against Case Western Reserve University 73-59. Babson's Felix Kloman scored 22 points, while CWRU was led by 17 points from Sam Trunley. Babson shot 50.9 percent (28-of-55) for the game. CWRU checked in at 41.2 percent (21-of-51).
Bradford and CWRU kick off Monday's slate at 3:45 p.m. with Wooster and Babson to follow at 6 p.m. Fans can gain free admission with the donation of two coats to Goodwill Industries.