COLUMBUS – The Capital University men's basketball team fought back from a double-digit, first-half deficit Thursday night, but was unable to complete the comeback in the second in a 63-57 loss against Wilmington in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at the Capital Center.
Junior Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio; at right) drained five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 24 points along with four steals for the Crusaders (3-4 overall, 1-2 OAC), who scored 22 points off 19 Quaker miscues but made some crucial turnovers of their own down the stretch.
Junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) posted 17 points off the bench, while senior Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio) added eight points and four rebounds.
Wilmington (3-4, 2-0) shot 47.7 percent for the game, including 52 percent in the first half, while Capital shot 40.4 percent from the field. The two teams combined for 15 made 3-pointers.
After a tightly-contested opening 10 minutes, the Quakers scored on three straight possessions to take a 27-17 lead with 6:55 left in the first half. The Crusaders cut their deficit to three on a 3-pointer by Niekamp with 3:07 on the clock before Wilmington doubled its advantage to 36-30 at the half.
Capital tied the game as late as the 11:33 mark of the second half on another 3-pointer by Niekamp. The Quakers responded with a 9-2 spurt to take a 52-45 lead with 6:37 to go. The Crusaders would get as close as five, but five turnovers in the last eight minutes proved costly as Wilmington scored four transition points and converted 5-of-9 free throws in the final three minutes.
Junior Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) grabbed a team-best five rebounds, while Sommer and freshman Adam Blake (Kingston, Ohio) chipped in with three assists apiece.
Capital returns to action this Saturday against Mount Union for its final home game of the calendar year. Tip-off at the Capital Center is slated for 2 p.m.
Junior Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio; at right) drained five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 24 points along with four steals for the Crusaders (3-4 overall, 1-2 OAC), who scored 22 points off 19 Quaker miscues but made some crucial turnovers of their own down the stretch.
Junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) posted 17 points off the bench, while senior Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio) added eight points and four rebounds.
Wilmington (3-4, 2-0) shot 47.7 percent for the game, including 52 percent in the first half, while Capital shot 40.4 percent from the field. The two teams combined for 15 made 3-pointers.
After a tightly-contested opening 10 minutes, the Quakers scored on three straight possessions to take a 27-17 lead with 6:55 left in the first half. The Crusaders cut their deficit to three on a 3-pointer by Niekamp with 3:07 on the clock before Wilmington doubled its advantage to 36-30 at the half.
Capital tied the game as late as the 11:33 mark of the second half on another 3-pointer by Niekamp. The Quakers responded with a 9-2 spurt to take a 52-45 lead with 6:37 to go. The Crusaders would get as close as five, but five turnovers in the last eight minutes proved costly as Wilmington scored four transition points and converted 5-of-9 free throws in the final three minutes.
Junior Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) grabbed a team-best five rebounds, while Sommer and freshman Adam Blake (Kingston, Ohio) chipped in with three assists apiece.
Capital returns to action this Saturday against Mount Union for its final home game of the calendar year. Tip-off at the Capital Center is slated for 2 p.m.
