For the second time in a week, the Wilmington College men's basketball team will play Ohio Northern. This time there is a lot more at stake, the season.

"They are a very good basketball team that we have a ton of respect for," said WC head coach K.C. Hunt. "We will have to play better than the last time we played them."

The teams split the two meetings, each winning on their home court. The Polar Bears beat Wilmington Wednesday, 79-75, while the Fightin' Quakers were 69-50 victors on January 16. In Wednesday's game, junior Malcolm Heard II (Wilmington, OH/Wilmington) tied a career-high with 34 points and 15 rebounds. He added 24 points and 15 rebounds in January's game.

"This time of year it's about running and executing the stuff you have run for the last six months," said Hunt.

He added that Wilmington needs to match ONU's physical nature.

Brandon Rushton was the Polar Bears' leading scorer in both meetings, scoring 19 points in Wednesday's game and 16 points in ONU's loss in January. Jared Horstman reached double figures in both games, averaging 11.5 points

Wilmington shot 76 percent in the second half as they turned a four-point lead into a 19-point victory. The tables were almost turned in the rematch as the Polar Bears made nearly 63 percent of their shots to hold the Fightin' Quakers off.