Box Score
Ohio Wesleyan 85, Hiram 79

Freshman wing Gabe Johnson (Chicago, Ill./Wheaton St. Francis) and freshman post Nick Carlson (Dublin/Coffman) hit 3-pointers to help Ohio Wesleyan build a 19-point second-half lead, and the Bishops withstood a Hiram comeback to record a North Coast Athletic Conference victory on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.

Sophomore wing Dawsin Tillman (Bellefontaine) hit back-to-back buckets as the Bishops took a 40-29 lead late in the first half, and Ohio Wesleyan opened the second period with a 9-0 run that included a Johnson 3-pointer, a 3-point play by junior post Grant Gossard (Westerville/Olentangy Orange), and a 3-pointer from freshman wing Ethan Stanislawski (Massilon/Jackson) that extended the margin to 49-31.

The Terriers closed the gap to a dozen with the help of a Marcel Rice 3-point play and a lay-in from Antonio McQueen, but the Bishops countered with an 8-1 burst, with Johnson and Coffman connecting from long range and junior guard Jaret Gerber (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) following with a jumper to make it 59-40 with 14:47 left in regulation time.

Hiram's Sherman Cox kicked off an 11-0 run with a 3-pointer and a 3-point play, and Sherman Dean III followed with a 3-pointer before a Christian Crespo lay-in brought the visitors within 59-51.

Gerber drilled a 3-pointer for a 75-64 Bishop lead with exactly 5:00 to play, and the Bishops still led, 82-74, after a Carlson jumper with 1:45 remaining.

Dean hit a 3-pointer on Hiram's ensuing possession, then sank a pair of free throws to bring the Terriers within 82-79 with :46 to play.

Freshman guard Curtis White (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) hit the front end of a one-and-one with :19 left to make it a 2-possession game, and after Dean misfired on a 3-pointer, Johnson sealed the outcome with a pair of free throws with :04 left.

Johnson led the Bishops with 23 points.  Stanislawski and Carlson scored 13 points apiece, Gerber with 12 points, and junior post Tim Kiefer (North Olmsted/Cleveland St. Ignatius) had a team-high 8 rebounds.

Dean led Hiram with 21 points.

Box Score