Box Score
Denison 95, Ohio Wesleyan 94
Freshman wing Ethan Stanislawski (Massilon/Jackson) scored to send the game into overtime, then gave the Bishops the lead early in the extra session, but Denison rallied to take the lead, then withstood a potential game-winning possession to escape with a North Coast Athletic Conference win over Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday at Branch Rickey Arena.
Ohio Wesleyan will be the No. 7 seed in next week's NCAC tournament and will visit second-seeded Wittenberg in an NCAC tournament quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday.
Stanislawski drove for a lay-in to tie the game at 84 with :26 to play in regulation time. Denison worked for the final shot, but Matt Redmond misfired on a 3-pointer from left corner.
Stanislawski then hit the first of 2 free throws on the opening possession of overtime and freshman guard Curtis White (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) followed with a basket to give the Bishops an 87-84 lead.
The Big Red scored the next 9 points, getting a jumper from the lane and a pair of free throws from Matt Doyle and a lay-in and a 3-pointer by Jack Coulter, the latter putting the visitors up, 93-87, with 1:37 to go.
Denison led, 95-89, after freshman post Nick Carlson (Dublin/Coffman) and Doyle traded lay-ins, but the Bishops came back with a 3-pointer by White. and after Stanislawski altered a Doyle jumper on the other end, freshman wing Gabe Johnson (Chicago, Ill./Wheaton St. Francis) drove for a dunk to make it 95-94 with :13 remaining.
Forced to foul, the Bishops fouled Conor Fenton in the backcourt, and the strategy worked when Fenton missed the front end of a one-and-one with :07.4 remaining.
After a timeout, White drove the length of the court and weaved through the Denison defense, but his lay-in for the win didn't fall, and Fenton cleared the rebound and was fouled. Fenton missed the front end of the ensuing one-and-one, but Johnson's long 3-pointer for the win was off the mark.
The Big Red hit 4 of their first 6 shots from long range in racing to a 14-3 lead, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers by Coulter.
Ohio Wesleyan chipped away at the deficit, closing to within 23-22 on a Stanislawski 3-pointer at the 8:31 mark of the half, but Denison withstood the comeback and built a 45-33 lead at the break as Fenton connected on a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the half.
Denison would lead by as many as 14 points, and the visitors still were up by a count of 80-69 with 3:59 left in regulation time.
Junior guard Jaret Gerber (Worthington/Thomas Worthington) hit a pair of 3-pointers to kick off a 13-2 run, also sinking a pair of free throws before a White lay-in and a Carlson 3-pointer tied the score at 82 with 1:02 left.
Gerber led the Bishops with 22 points. Stanislawski added 17 points, Johnson finished with 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds, White scored 13 points, and Carlson had 10 points. Junior post Derrick Wyche (Upper Arlington) led the Bishops with 5 assists.
Doyle led Denison with 26 points.
Box Score
