The Capital University men's basketball team continues Ohio Athletic Conference play this week with games at Heidelberg on Wednesday at 7:30 and at home against Baldwin Wallace on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The Crusaders (3-4 overall, 1-0 OAC) recovered from a loss earlier in the week to defeat Mount Union 61-57 on Saturday at the Capital Center. Senior guard Tim Congrove (Circleville, Ohio) helped Capital jump out to a 31-22 lead with 11 of his 14 points in the first half. Senior forward Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio) inched closer to the 1,000-point milestone for his career with 14 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
The Crusaders forced the Purple Raiders into 31.5 percent from the field and just 2-of-17 shooting from 3-point range. Capital's bench outscored Mount Union's reserves 32-22.
On Wednesday, the Crusaders jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led 28-27 at halftime but shot just 30.8 percent in the second half en route to a 64-53 loss against Ohio Wesleyan. Senior guard Mitch Westerheide (Ft. Loramie, Ohio) registered a game-high 18 points to lead Capital.
Heidelberg (4-2, 0-1) was defeated 83-77 in its conference opener against John Carroll on Saturday at home. Nate Davis recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and three steals to lead the Student Princes, who shot just 17-of-35 (48.6 percent) from the free throw line.
The 'Berg leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game (12.4) and blocks per game (3.4) and allows just 26.2 percent shooting from 3-point range, best in the league. Davis leads the team in scoring (18.8 points per game) and rebounding (9.8 per game), while Dane Givner also averages double-digit scoring with 10.5 points per affair to go along with a team-high 21 assists.
Last season, the Crusaders swept the two-game series against the Student Princes, most recently winning 68-60 on Feb. 4 at the Capital Center.
Baldwin Wallace (3-2), which opens its conference season Wednesday at home against Ohio Northern, fell 75-73 at Alma (Mich.) on Saturday. Four players finished with 11 or more points for the Yellow Jackets, including Kyle Payne, who totaled 12 points and 10 rebounds. BW shot just 33.8 percent from the floor in the contest.
Payne and Kevin Krakowiak lead the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 16.2 and 15.6 points per game, respectively. Payne also leads the team with 8.2 rebounds per contest. Baldwin Wallace leads the league in free throws made (20.0) and attempted (26.0) per game as well as rebounding margin (plus-5.2).
The Crusaders and Yellow Jackets split a pair of games played in 2011-12. Capital won the first meeting 75-69 in Columbus on Jan. 7 before Baldwin Wallace evened the series on Feb. 11 with a 75-64 triumph in Berea.
