Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 76, Wooster 66

Senior guard Andy Winters (Columbus/Bishop Watterson) buried back-to-back 3-pointers to highlight an 18-2 second-half run that lifted 24th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan over 17th-ranked Wooster in the championship game of the North Coast Athletic Conference tournament on Saturday in Wooster.

The tournament championship is Ohio Wesleyan's first since 2008, snapping a string of 4 consecutive Wooster tournament championships.

With the win, Ohio Wesleyan receives the NCAC's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III tournament.  The NCAA Division III tournament field is scheduled to be released on Monday.

Wooster had taken a 53-50 lead when Doug Thorpe was fouled on a 3-point shot and sank all 3 free throws with 8:43 left in regulation time.

Junior post Reuel Rogers (Columbus/Bexley) answered with a lay-in on the Bishops' next possession, and junior wing Dre White (Lima/Bath) followed with a lay-in to put the Bishops ahead to stay.

Winters knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:15 left in the game, and after White cleared a defensive rebound, Winters buried another 3-pointer in transition to make it a 60-53 game with 4:38 to play.

Evan Pannell sank a pair of free throws to end Wooster's scoring drought of more than 4 minutes, but senior post Marshall Morris (Tulsa, Okla./Jenks) drilled a 3-pointer to give the Bishops a 63-55 advantage.

Rogers converted a 3-point play to make it 66-55 with 2:14 to go, then grabbed a defensive rebound, was fouled, and sank both free throws for a 68-55 Bishop lead with 2:02 to play.

Pannell's jumper from the line with 1:51 left was Wooster's first basket in nearly 9 minutes of action, and a Doug Thorpe steal and lay-in brought the Scots within 70-60 with 1:25 to go, but that 10-point margin was as close as Wooster would come.

Wooster built an 18-11 lead midway through the first half, only to see the Bishops take the lead with a run that included a Winters 3-point play and baskets by Rogers and junior guard Taylor Rieger (Lewis Center/Olentangy Orange). 

Senior wing Greg White (Centerville) hit 3 free throws to bring the Bishops within 30-29, and Ohio Wesleyan assembled a 9-0 run early in the second half, getting 3-pointers from Rieger and Morris and a Morris 3-point play, to take a 41-35 lead.

The Fighting Scots answered with an 11-0 run of their own, with Thorpe hitting a 3-pointer and a lay-in and Pannell adding a pair of buckets, to lead into the home stretch.

Morris led the Bishops with 19 points, going 4-for-5 from long range.  Winters followed with 17 points and posted team bests of 7 rebounds and 6 assists.  The 6 assists raised his season total to 194, breaking the school record of 191 set by Mike Smith during the 1987-88 season.

Rogers added 15 points, going 6-for-7 from the field, and Rieger had 14 points.

Thorpe led Wooster with 24 points.

Winters received the Al Van Wie Award as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.  He was joined on the all-tournament team by Morris.

Box Score