Ohio Wesleyan 72, Wittenberg 69

Feb. 13, 2008

Senior post Dustin Rudegeair (Yellow Springs) hit a jumper that put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay and added a free throw down the stretch, junior wing Kyle Miller (Delaware/Hayes) converted a timely 3-point play, and senior wing Brian Cafarella (Westerville/North) added a pair of free throws during the final 10 seconds as Ohio Wesleyan defeated Wittenberg in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Wednesday in Springfield.

The win snaps Ohio Wesleyan's 43-game losing streak to the Tigers in Springfield dating back to Feb. 28, 1953, when the Bishops took a 67-58 decision in Wittenberg Field House. The win also gives Ohio Wesleyan its first regular-season sweep of Wittenberg since the 1949-50 campaign.

With the Bishops trailing, 65-64, after Mark Snyder's jumper with 1:51 left in regulation time, Rudegeair hit a jumper that returned the lead to Ohio Wesleyan with 1:31 remaining.

Senior guard Casey Teeters (Westerville/Columbus St. Charles) then stole the ball and sent it to Miller, who scored on a fast break, was fouled, and hit the free throw to give the Bishops a 69-65 lead with 1:04 remaining.

Wittenberg missed 3 shots on its next possession before Rudegeair cleared a defensive rebound and was fouled with :20 remaining. He hit the first free throw to increase the Bishop lead to 70-65.

Derrick Hannon then scored to bring the Tigers within 70-67 with :10 to play, and Cafarella was fouled before the Bishops could get the ball in bounds. Cafarella hit the second of 2 free throws for a 71-67 Ohio Wesleyan lead, and the Tigers got closer when Gregg Hill drove the length of the court for a lay-in that made it a 71-69 game.

Once again, Cafarella was fouled before the Bishops could get the ball in bounds, and again, Cafarella hit the second of 2 free throws, this time giving Ohio Wesleyan a 72-69 lead with :05 to go, but Hill's game-tying 3-point attempt was off the mark.

Cafarella opened the game's scoring with a 3-pointer, and the Bishops would not trail for the first 33 minutes of the contest.

Ohio Wesleyan pulled away from a 13-13 tie with a 7-0 run that included a 3-pointer by senior post Ryan Rozak (Fairview Park/Fairview), a pair of free throws by junior wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert) and a Rudegeair jumper, and the Bishops would open up a 10-point lead on Rudegeair's 3-pointer with :35 left in the first half.

Wittenberg bounced back with a 3-pointer by Kevin Murray with :05 left in the period, bringing the Tigers within 41-34 at the intermission, and, still trailing by 7 with 13:50 left in regulation time, got a 3-pointer and a lay-in by Murray followed by a Hannon lay-in to tie the score at 49-49 at the midway point of the second half.

The Tigers took their first lead of the game when Sam Gregory's 3-pointer made it 57-56 with 6:30 to play, and when Brandan Barabino followed with a pair of free throws for a 59-56 Wittenberg lead, the Tigers had their biggest lead of the game.

Senior post Jesse Jean (Alexandria, Va./Hyde (Conn.) School) answered with a timely 3-point play for the Bishops, tying the game at 59-59 with just over 5 minutes remaining, and from that point on, the teams would trade scores until Miller's 3-point play gave the Bishops a 4-point lead with just over a minute remaining.

Rudegeair led the Bishops with 24 points and 8 rebounds. Teeters finished with 10 points and Holliday led the Bishops with 4 assists.

Murray led the Tigers with 17 points, Snyder had 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Hill and Barabino finished with 10 points apiece.

Box Score