@DubC_MensHoops Preview: Ohio Northern

Posted: Jan 24, 2017

The Wilmington College men's basketball team travels to league leading Ohio Northern 7 p.m. Wednesday.

NCAA SERIES: Wilmington trails the NCAA series, 24-14, most coming while members of the Ohio Athletic Conference. The teams have split the season series in 11 of the 16 OAC seasons. Ohio Northern posted the 83-69 win earlier this season.

THE LAST MEETING: One hundred fifty seconds. That is all it took for the Wilmington College men's basketball team to dig themselves into an insurmountable deficit as the Fightin' Quakers fell to Ohio Northern 83-69 Wednesday in Ohio Athletic Conference action in Fred Raizk Arena at Hermann Court.

The Polar Bears went on a 10-0 run over the final 2:30 of the first half to expand its seven point lead to 17 points. Ohio Northern controlled the first 20 minutes, shooting 64 percent (16-of-25) from the field and holding a plus-10 edge on the glass.

Junior Nathan Scott (Sardinia, OH/Eastern) dropped in a career-high 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting.

Junior Christian Jones (Hamilton, OH/Hamilton) added 17 points, three assists, while sophomore Kevin Lewis (Cincinnati, OH/Clark Montessori) recorded 10 points and six rebounds with two steals and an assist.

MEET THE POLAR BEARS: League-leading Ohio Northern enters the game on a five-game winning streak after posting the 86-75 victory over Mount Union Saturday.

Junior Devon Allen led five players in double figures with 23 points.

On the season, five players are averaging double figures – led by Allen's 14.4. Nate Burger is second with 13.9 points, Konnor Baker 13.5, Ryan Bruns 11.8 and Aron Thress 10.1.

Bruns leads the team with 7.5 rebounds, while Thress is second with 6.5 boards.

GREAT SCOTT: Junior Nathan Scott is starting to show his scoring potential, and is coming off a career-high 28 points in Saturday's loss to Heidelberg. He has reached double figures in five of the last seven games, and is averaging a team-high 16.0 points in that span.

In addition, his 14.0 points in Ohio Athletic Conference games lead the team.

UNCLE DREW: Sophomore Andrew Russell returned to the starting lineup after an one-game hiatus, and finished with 11 points Wednesday and nine on Saturday.

After reaching double figures in each of the first five games, he achieved the feat in one of the next six. However, Russell has now reached double figures in three of the last five games, including a career-high 29 points against Capital.

He also holds the Wilmington NCAA-era record for most made free throws without a miss, going 10-for-10 against Capital.

DOUBLE FIGURES: Wilmington enters the game with four players averaging more than 10 points.

Junior Nathan Scott, who is coming off a career-high 28 points, leads the team with 12.2 points, while junior Christian Jones is second on the team with 11.9 points.

Sophomore Andrew Russell is third with 11.5 points, and freshman Noah Chatman adds 10.8 points.

EFFICIENT FROSH: Freshman Noah Chatman currently leads the Ohio Athletic Conference, making 65.9 percent of his attempts. Earlier this season, he set a Wilmington NCAA-era record with 14 made field goals. Chatman just missed the NCAA rankings eligibility of 5.0 FG made, converting 4.9 field goals.

WE ROLL DEEP: Wilmington's rotation features 11 players that are averaging at least 10 minutes per game, and only one player - junior Christian Jones - averaging more than 25.