NEW CONCORD, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's basketball team held the nation's second-leading scorer to just 13 points in an 85-65 blowout win over Muskingum University in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) action on Wednesday evening.
The teams were tied 7-7 just over three minutes into the game, but the Fightin' Quakers held the Fighting Muskies scoreless for over four minutes. A quick five points from the hosts tied the game back up at the 12:02 mark. Neither team led by more than five points for the next four minutes until a DaeShawn Jackson offensive rebound and put-back gave Wilmington a 25-19 advantage.
The visitors kept up their defensive pressure over the final seven minutes of the half, allowing Muskingum to score just seven points and scoring 15 of their own. A steal and Jackson layup at the buzzer gave Wilmington a 40-26 lead at halftime.
Wilmington blew the door wide open in the second half, opening the period on a 24-6 run over 5:39 to take a 32-point lead. The Quakers led by at least 20 the rest the way.
"The guys were really locked in from the beginning to the end," Head Men's Basketball K.C. Hunt said. "Offensively we really shared the ball. It was a total team effort to earn a much-needed win."
The Quakers finished 34-of-65 (52.3 percent) from the field along with 9-of-19 (47.4 percent) from beyond the three-point arc. This game marks the third straight game that Wilmington has shot over 50 percent from the field. Additionally, the three-point percentage was the highest of the season.
The Muskies shot 35.4 percent (23-of-65) from the field and 32.0 percent (8-of-25) from distance. The visitors also beat the hosts in the battle of the boards 44-34.
Abdul Kanu led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jackson added 21 points on 9-of-12 from the field along with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Colin Myers and Jeffery Mansfield also finished in double figures for Wilmington.
Trey Singleton led Muskingum with 16 points while Marcus Dempsey, the second-leading scorer in NCAA Division III, was held to 13 points. He entered the game averaging 31.0 points per game and had scored 27 or more points in all but one game.
Wilmington improves to 6-10 overall and 4-5 in the conference play halfway through. The Quakers return to Hermann Court on Saturday against the University of Mount Union.
