Ohio Wesleyan 69, Albion 66

Nov. 30, 2008

Senior wing Kyle Holliday (Van Wert) and freshman wing Tim Brady (Dublin/Jerome) scored 5 points apiece as Ohio Wesleyan built a 10-point first-half lead, freshman post Pat Pellerite (Olmsted Falls) had 7 points during a 12-2 run early in the second half that extended the Bishop lead to 16 points, and the Bishops withstood a furious Albion rally to edge the Britons in the second round of the OWU/Kenyon Classic on Sunday in Gambier.

Albion had pulled to within 26-24 on a jumper by Andre Bridges when the Bishops took off on a 10-2 run. Brady opened the Bishop spurt with a jumper and converted a 3-point play before Holliday hit a jumper and knocked down a 3-pointer to give Ohio Wesleyan a 36-26 lead with 1:40 left in the first half.

Drew Yancey hit a pair of baskets to bring Albion within 36-30, but Pellerite beat the first-half buzzer with a lay-in for a 38-30 Ohio Wesleyan lead at the break.

After Chris Farr opened the second-half scoring with a jumper that brought the Britons within 38-32, Ohio Wesleyan held Albion without a basket for more than 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, the Bishops pulled away with a lay-in, a pair of free throws and a 3-point play by Pellerite, then got a free throw from Holliday, a lay-in by senior wing Kyle Miller (Delaware/Hayes) and a pair of Holliday free throws to take a 50-34 lead with 13:46 to go in regulation time, and Ohio Wesleyan led by as many as 18 points, that coming when Miller sank a pair of free throws for a 55-37 Bishop lead with 11:52 to play.

The Bishops still led, 61-46, with just under 8 minutes left in regulation time when Albion went on a 10-0 run that included a pair of free throws and a lay-in by Yancey, a pair of free throws from Chris Farr, and baskets by J.C. Cruse and Andrew Holms, the latter making it a 61-56 game with 4:07 left.

Miller ended the Ohio Wesleyan dry spell with a jumper at the 3:49 mark, but Albion continued to chip away at the line, with Cruse and Holms each hitting 2 free throws to bring the Britons within 63-60 with 2:45 to play.

Holliday responded with a lay-in to give the Bishops a 65-60 lead, and while Albion closed to within a basket on 3 other occasions, Ohio Wesleyan went 4-for-6 from the line during the final 30 seconds of the game to keep the Britons at bay.

Holliday led the Bishops with 18 points, while Pellerite finished with 15 points and a team-high 8 boards and Miller led Ohio Wesleyan with 4 assists.

Yancey led Albion with 14 points, while Holms finished with 11 points and Dave Elliott scored 10 points.

Box Score