COLUMBUS – The Capital University men's basketball team opened its three-game home stand on a positive note Wednesday night, holding off a rally in the final minutes to defeat Ohio Northern 80-77 in Ohio Athletic Conference action at the Capital Center.
With the win, the Crusaders (13-7 overall, 10-3 OAC) remain tied for first place with John Carroll in the league standings.
Capital held off a furious second-half rally by the Polar Bears (9-11, 5-8) after building an 18-point lead with just under 15 minutes to play in the second half. Senior guard Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio), who finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with four assists, knocked down three free throws in the final 32 seconds to help Capital hold on.
"Toward the end there, we had some charges and some bad shots offensively," Winter said. "Defensively, we probably could have contested a little better, but they were hitting shots. Fortunately, we were able to buckle down in crunch time."
Four other players finished in double figures for the Crusaders, including junior Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio), who totaled 16 points. Junior Damon Dillard (Columbus, Ohio) scored all 10 of his points in the first half, helping Capital jump out to a 43-30 halftime lead.
"We were able to use their defensive pressure against them with a lot of backdoor cuts and vertical penetration," Winter said. "We got to the hoop and hit some shots. After they hit some shots to start, we kind of buckled down a little bit defensively."
The Crusaders shot a blazing 57.8 percent for the game and knocked down 20-of-26 from the free throw line. Ohio Northern shot 58 percent from the floor and outrebounded Capital 31-19.
After falling behind 11-5 through the first three minutes of play, the Crusaders, behind an electric crowd, posted a 22-3 run over the course of the next five minutes. Niekamp capped the spurt with a 3-pointer to put Capital ahead 27-14 with 11:56 on the clock.
The Crusaders took their largest lead of the half at the 1:28 mark, when Winter lobbed to junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) off a steal for a ferocious two-handed dunk in transition to make it a 14-point lead.
In the second half, after Capital took its 18-point advantage, the Polar Bears chipped away at their deficit, reducing it to single-digits just under the eight-minute mark. ONU made it a one-possession game at 76-73 with 42 seconds left, but never had a chance to tie or take the lead thanks to the Crusaders' clutch free throw shooting.
Sommer and junior Mitch Westerheide (Fort Loramie, Ohio) contributed with 12 points apiece for Capital, which outscored the Polar Bears 20-11 off turnovers, including a 15-4 margin in the opening period.
"We know that all five guys can score whenever they want," Winter said. "We used a lot of movement and a lot of screening, and whoever was open, we tried to find them to get the shots we need."
The Crusaders return to the floor Saturday against Heidelberg as part of a men's-women's doubleheader at the Capital Center. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
During halftime of the game, the 2012 Capital Athletics Hall of Fame induction class and other award winners will be recognized. In addition, the women's basketball team will be collecting donations at the door for the OAC's "Hoops for the Cure" initiative as part of a nationwide effort for breast cancer awareness and research.
With the win, the Crusaders (13-7 overall, 10-3 OAC) remain tied for first place with John Carroll in the league standings.
Capital held off a furious second-half rally by the Polar Bears (9-11, 5-8) after building an 18-point lead with just under 15 minutes to play in the second half. Senior guard Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio), who finished with a team-high 18 points to go along with four assists, knocked down three free throws in the final 32 seconds to help Capital hold on.
"Toward the end there, we had some charges and some bad shots offensively," Winter said. "Defensively, we probably could have contested a little better, but they were hitting shots. Fortunately, we were able to buckle down in crunch time."
Four other players finished in double figures for the Crusaders, including junior Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio), who totaled 16 points. Junior Damon Dillard (Columbus, Ohio) scored all 10 of his points in the first half, helping Capital jump out to a 43-30 halftime lead.
"We were able to use their defensive pressure against them with a lot of backdoor cuts and vertical penetration," Winter said. "We got to the hoop and hit some shots. After they hit some shots to start, we kind of buckled down a little bit defensively."
The Crusaders shot a blazing 57.8 percent for the game and knocked down 20-of-26 from the free throw line. Ohio Northern shot 58 percent from the floor and outrebounded Capital 31-19.
After falling behind 11-5 through the first three minutes of play, the Crusaders, behind an electric crowd, posted a 22-3 run over the course of the next five minutes. Niekamp capped the spurt with a 3-pointer to put Capital ahead 27-14 with 11:56 on the clock.
The Crusaders took their largest lead of the half at the 1:28 mark, when Winter lobbed to junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) off a steal for a ferocious two-handed dunk in transition to make it a 14-point lead.
In the second half, after Capital took its 18-point advantage, the Polar Bears chipped away at their deficit, reducing it to single-digits just under the eight-minute mark. ONU made it a one-possession game at 76-73 with 42 seconds left, but never had a chance to tie or take the lead thanks to the Crusaders' clutch free throw shooting.
Sommer and junior Mitch Westerheide (Fort Loramie, Ohio) contributed with 12 points apiece for Capital, which outscored the Polar Bears 20-11 off turnovers, including a 15-4 margin in the opening period.
"We know that all five guys can score whenever they want," Winter said. "We used a lot of movement and a lot of screening, and whoever was open, we tried to find them to get the shots we need."
The Crusaders return to the floor Saturday against Heidelberg as part of a men's-women's doubleheader at the Capital Center. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m.
During halftime of the game, the 2012 Capital Athletics Hall of Fame induction class and other award winners will be recognized. In addition, the women's basketball team will be collecting donations at the door for the OAC's "Hoops for the Cure" initiative as part of a nationwide effort for breast cancer awareness and research.
