Ohio Wesleyan 86, Wooster 83

Feb. 18, 2006

Junior post Ben Chojnacki (Medina) and senior wing Andy Warnock (Delaware/Hayes) combined for all 7 Ohio Wesleyan points down the stretch and the Battling Bishops withstood a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to knock off top-ranked Wooster in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.

The win is Ohio Wesleyan's first over the No. 1-ranked team in the nation since March 19, 1988, when the Bishops defeated top-ranked Scranton, 92-70, in the NCAA Division III national championship game.

Saturday's game brought back memories of that championship season, as a boisterous home crowd roared in approval when the Bishops took a 79-68 lead on a wide-open lay-up by sophomore post Jesse Jean (Alexandria, Va./Hyde (Conn.) School) with 3:14 left in regulation time.

Wooster guard Kyle Witucky drew a foul on the Fighting Scots' next possession and hit the first of 2 free throws, and after Chojnacki missed a pair of free throws at the other end, Wooster forward Tom Port scored to bring the Scots within 79-71 with 2:35 to play. The Fighting Scots then closed to within 79-74 on James Cooper's 3-point play with 1:41 remaining.

Chojnacki then hit one of the biggest baskets of the game. With the shot clock down to 3 seconds, Ohio Wesleyan inbounded the ball from the end line. Chojnacki took the pass and fired an off-balance 3-pointer that increased the Bishop lead to 82-74.

Cooper countered with a 3-pointer for Wooster for an 82-77 margin, and on the Bishops' ensuing possession, Warnock was fouled and hit the first of 2 free throws to make it a 6-point lead with :33 to play. Warnock missed the second free throw, but sophomore post Dustin Rudegeair (Yellow Springs) chased down the offensive rebound and the Bishops were able to whittle 9 more seconds off the clock before Chojnacki was fouled. Chojnacki hit the second of 2 free throws to make it a 3-possession game at 84-77 with :24 remaining.

Witucky drilled a 3-pointer with :19 to play to bring the Scots within 84-80, and Wooster got the ball back when junior wing Ted Uritus (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) took the inbounds pass but saw his outlet pass go awry. Port ran down the ball and hit a 3-pointer to bring Wooster within 84-83 with :15 left.

Warnock was fouled with :11 to play and hit both free throws to make it an 86-83 game.

Wooster again turned to Witucky, whose 3-pointer from the right side was off the mark with :05 left. The ball bounced out to the foul line, where Cooper and Uritus each pounced upon it, and the held ball was awarded to Wooster with :01.4 on the clock.

The inbounds pass went to Port, whose shot from the right corner rattled in and out at the buzzer.

Wooster took an early 6-5 lead on baskets by Port, Cooper and Tim Vandervaart, but Ohio Wesleyan answered with a 3-pointer by Warnock, and the Bishops trailed only once after that. Wooster's last lead of the game was at 17-16 on Port's fast-break lay-in.

The Bishops came back with 6 straight points, getting a lay-in from Chojnacki and 2 jumpers by freshman wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert) for a 22-17 lead with 11:45 left in the period.

The Fighting Scots tied the game at 28-28 and again at 50-50, the latter on Cooper's jumper with :52 left in the first half.

Ohio Wesleyan led, 61-58, when the Bishops reeled off 6 straight points on baskets by Uritus, Chojnacki and Jean. Wooster closed to within 3 points again, at 69-66 on Vandervaart's lay-in with 6:02 remaining, but once more the Bishops ran off 6 straight points to restore the 9-point lead on Uritus' 3-pointer with 4:12 remaining, then stretched the lead to 79-68 on Jean's lay-in with 3:14 to play.

Warnock led the Bishops with a career-high 27 points, with 20 of those coming in the first half. Chojnacki finished with 17 points and a team-high 7 rebounds, Holliday finished with 12 points and Jean and Uritus scored 10 points apiece, with Jean going 5-for-5 from the field and Uritus dishing out a team-high 6 assists.

Witucky led Wooster with 22 points, Cooper added 17 points, Port had 16 points and a team-high 6 rebounds and Vandervaart scored 14 points.

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