WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Wilmington College men's basketball team hit 10-of-20 three-pointers and held off a late rally to defeat Capital University 76-73 in Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) action on Wednesday evening.
"I love how our team started the game tonight," Head Coach Micah Mills said. "We had the communication and energy it takes to compete at this level. Our crowd was awesome tonight, and it definitely helped us at the start and throughout the contest!"
Both teams scored 15 points through the first eight-plus minutes, but the Quakers scored the next 10 over a four-minute span capped by two Abdul Kanu baskets to give the hosts a 25-15 edge. The Comets stemmed the bleeding with a dunk, but five WC free throws gave the Quakers what would be their largest lead of the game at 30-17.
Capital's leading scorer, Carter Combs, caught fire over the final four minutes of the half as the sophomore poured in three triples. In total, the Comets outscored the Quakers 18-5 and went into intermission tied 35-35.
Two Gavin Heimlich three-pointers with an Obed Achirem basket in between put the hosts ahead 43-37 early, and though Capital hung around, it couldn't regain the lead. Two Kanu free throws with 1:48 to play put Wilmington ahead 72-66, but the Comets wouldn't go away. Consecutive Wilmington turnovers in the final minute gave the visitors a chance to tie it, but a long-distance triple from Combs missed everything.
"One of my favorite aspects of this game was our resiliency our team showed after Capital closed the half on that run," said Mills. "Coach Trevino and Coach Echelberry did a great job speaking on our defensive breakdowns, rebounding habits and the ways to clean them up. The guys locked in and made the adjustments in the second half."
Capital made three more field goals (25-22) than Wilmington and attempted 18 more shots, but the Quakers made up the difference with a 10-8 edge in triples and converting 22-of-31 (71.0 percent) at the free throw line. The hosts also had a 38-35 rebounding advantage.
Individually, Kanu scored 20 points while Bryce Bird added 15 points, Heimlich had 13 and Achirem had 12. Andrew Clark missed double figures by a single point, but grabbed seven rebounds, asissted on two baskets and stole a pass.
Combs led the Comets with 22 points in defeat while Kaleb Crawford and Dom Moegerle also scored in double figures.
Wilmington (6-14, 2-11 OAC) host the nationally-ranked Purple Raiders of the University of Mount Union on Saturday. Tip-off from Fred Raizk Arena is scheduled for 2 p.m.
