(WILMINGTON, Ohio) – The Wilmington College men's basketball team battled their way past the Ohio Northern University Polar Bears Wednesday night in Hermann Court, earning an 80-76 victory. After trailing by five at the half, Wilmington used 46 second half points to pick up the win and move to 7-9 overall this season and 3-6 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).
At halftime of the game, Quakers high jumper Brady Vilvens was honored for his National Championship victory in the high jump at the 2023 Division III National Championships. He was presented with his national championship ring.
Wilmington got off to a quick start in the game, taking a 22-13 lead with 11:53 to play in the half. Ben Golan led the charge with seven points, while Obed Achirem had the first six points of the game, and Rashid Chisholm added five during the run.
The lead was stretched to 26-13 before the Polar Bears began to make a push. They used an 18-4 run over the next seven minutes of play to take a 31-30 lead with 3:14 remaining in the half. They would continue their solid stretch throughout the remainder of the half and took a 39-34 lead into the locker room.
The Quakers didn't blink in the second half and came out playing well. They went on a 7-2 run and tied the game at 41-41 under three minutes into the half. The two teams would continue to go back and forth throughout the second half as the game was tied at 58-58 with 7:47 to play.
A 7-0 push ensued for the Polar Bears to take a 65-58 advantage. This lead would grow to eight points at 70-62 with 5:09 left in the game. The Quakers then began to rally. A 7-0 flurry pushed it to a one-point game at 70-69 with Carson Miles fueling the run with five points that included a dunk to bring the crowd to their feet.
The run continued as Wilmington took a 75-72 lead after a pair of layups from Jayden Lewis and Carson Miles gave them the lead. A big three for Ohio Northern tied the game at 75-75 with 1:53 to play in the game.
A pair of free throws gave Wilmington a 77-75 advantage. During the final 30 seconds, the Polar Bears had a chance to tie the game. An errant pass for Ohio Northern allowed Achirem to swat it into the hands of Gavin Heimlich for the steal and the final blow of the game. The Quakers iced the contest at the free throw line and came away with the win.
Notables
- Matthew Dugue led the team with 14 points, while Obed Achirem (13), Carson Miles (12), and Rashid Chisholm (11) all joined him in double-figures.
- Dugue also tied for the game-high with eight rebounds, while Gavin Heimlich and Achirem each had seven.
- Domenic Farley had a team-high four assists and Achirem added three.
- Achirem and Dugue each had a pair of steals.
- Chisholm and Ben Golan tied for the game-high with two blocks.
What's Up Next
The Quakers host the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders in their next game in Hermann Court Saturday afternoon at 2:00 P.M.
They beat Mount Union back on December 2nd, 80-79 in their first game of OAC play.
