Ohio Wesleyan 70, Hiram 62

Feb. 7, 2009

Senior wing Kyle Miller (Delaware/Hayes) scored to put Ohio Wesleyan ahead to stay early in the overtime period and added a pair of free throws to help the Bishops pull away, and senior wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert) scored 6 points during the extra session as Ohio Wesleyan defeated Hiram in North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday in Hiram.

The win knocks Hiram out of a 3-way tie for first place in the NCAC, leaving Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster, a winner over Wabash on Saturday, tied for the league lead at 10-2 with Hiram a game back at 9-3.

Hiram's Chris Roberts scored to give the Terriers a 59-57 lead to open the overtime, but the Bishops came back with a free throw by junior post Brent Pleiman (Russia) before Miller's jumper gave Ohio Wesleyan a 60-59 lead with 3:35 to play.

Baskets by Pleiman and Holliday extended the Bishop lead to 64-59, but the Terriers clawed back to 64-62 when Andrew Weigand was fouled on a 3-point attempt and sank all 3 free throws with 1:35 remaining.

Holliday converted a 3-point play on Ohio Wesleyan's next possession, and after a Hiram miss, Miller grabbed the defensive rebound, was fouled, and hit a pair of free throws for a 69-62 Bishop lead with :34 to go.

Holliday finished off the day's scoring with a free throw with :22 to play.

Hiram led by as many as 5 points during the first half, taking a 22-17 lead on Deon Milton's fast-break lay-in midway through the period.

Ohio Wesleyan countered with a 13-3 run, with Holliday scoring the final 6 points, to take a 5-point lead of its own at 30-25, and the Bishops would lead by a 32-29 margin at the half.

The Bishops added to their lead, going on a 12-3 run to open the second half, with freshman post Pat Pellerite (Olmsted Falls) scoring 4 buckets on tip-ins or lay-ins, Miller adding a tip-in, and Holliday capping the run with a pair of free throws at the 14:14 mark that gave Ohio Wesleyan a 44-32 lead.

Ohio Wesleyan led by as many as 13 points on Miller's 3-pointer midway through the half, and still held a 55-45 advantage with 6:24 to go before Hiram came back.

The Terriers closed to within 55-52 as Hassan Muhammed sank a jumper, Babajide Eniola added a lay-in, and Muhammed converted a 3-point play with 3:30 remaining.

Miller sank a pair of free throws to make it a 57-52 Bishop lead with 1:23 left, but Nick Russo was fouled and hit 3 free throws at the 1:04 mark, and after a Bishop turnover with :36 left, Hiram worked the clock down for a shot at the tying basket. Russo's jumper was wide, as was a tip attempt by Ian Pfouts, but Pfouts got his own rebound and scored to tie the game at 57-57 with a second to spare, sending the game into overtime.

Holliday and Pellerite each recorded double-doubles, with Holliday compiling 20 points and 10 rebounds and Pellerite finishing with 18 points and 11 boards and sharing the team lead with 3 assists. Miller added 16 points.

Muhammed led the Terriers with 15 points, and Roberts scored 10 points for Hiram.

Box Score