The Capital University men's basketball team controlled the tempo and used sound shooting Wednesday to knock off local rival Otterbein 76-67 in an Ohio Athletic Conference match-up in Westerville, Ohio.
After shooting a season-low 26.8 percent in Monday's loss at Ohio Wesleyan, the Crusaders (6-6 overall, 3-2 OAC) shot 51.1 percent from the field and 25-of-32 from the free throw line to get back to above .500 in conference play.
Juniors Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio; at right) and Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio) scored 22 and 20 points, respectively, to lead Capital. Senior Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio) added eight points, a team-high seven rebounds and three assists.
Capital took control of the contest in the final three minutes of a back-and-forth first half, taking a 36-32 lead into the half thanks to six points from Sommer over the final 2:35 of the period.
After the Cardinals (5-7, 2-3) responded early in the second to take a 41-38 advantage with 16:28 on the clock, the Crusaders put together a 10-2 run to take a five-point lead at the 13:52 mark following a layup by Winter.
Capital never trailed after that, trading possessions with Otterbein before converting 5-of-6 free throws over the final 48 seconds to seal the victory.
The Crusader bench outscored Cardinal reserves 23-13, led by nine points from junior Mitch Westerheide (Ft. Loramie, Ohio) and eight from junior Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio). Jackson's 3-point play with 1:01 to play helped Capital seal its victory.
Wednesday's victory also marked the 200th conference win for Capital coach Damon Goodwin, who is in his 18th season at the helm of the program. Goodwin is a four-time league Coach of the Year and has guided the Crusaders to three OAC titles, one conference tournament championship and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Capital resumes play this Saturday against Baldwin-Wallace, one of four teams, along with the Crusaders, tied for third place in the OAC standings. Tip-off at the Capital Center is slated for 2 p.m.
