The Capital University men's basketball team saw its six-game winning streak come to an end Wednesday, falling 55-53 at Wilmington in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown at Wilmington, Ohio.
The Crusaders (11-8 overall, 8-3 OAC) took a 53-51 lead with 28 seconds left in the contest on a free throw by junior Mitch Westerheide (Fort Loramie, Ohio). The Quakers knocked down a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to take a one-point lead with 19 seconds on the clock.
After a turnover, Capital was forced to foul, and Wilmington (9-8, 7-4) knocked down one of two free throws to double its advantage to 55-53 with six seconds remaining.
The Crusaders were unable to get off a shot in the final seconds to tie or take the lead.
With its first loss since Jan. 2, and its first league defeat since Jan. 8, Capital now stands in a tie for first place in the conference with John Carroll with seven regular season games to play.
Junior Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) led the Crusaders with 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for his second straight double-double. Classmate Damon Dillard (Columbus, Ohio; at right) was the only other Capital player in double figures with 10 points off the bench.
The Crusaders shot 40.9 percent from the field and 14-of-21 from the free throw line, compared to 39.6 percent and 10-of-23 for the Quakers.
Neither team was able to find its offensive rhythm in the first half, both shooting around 30 percent as Wilmington took an 18-17 lead into the locker room.
The scoring pace picked up in the second half for Capital, which took a 34-24 advantage at the 15:11 mark on a 17-6 run out of the half. Jackson and junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) combined for nine points during the spurt.
The Crusaders increased their lead to 13 points with 8:27 to play on back-to-back 3-pointers by Dillard. Wilmington quickly narrowed down its deficit, tying the game at 49-49 on a 3-point play with 3;52 to go.
A pair of Jackson free throws gave Capital a 52-50 lead with 2:44 left, a margin the Quakers cut in half with a free throw at the 2:21 mark. Neither team scored again until the 28-second mark.
The Crusaders resume play this Saturday at Mount Union. Tip-off in Alliance, Ohio, is scheduled for 3 p.m.
