Box Score
Roanoke 79, Ohio Wesleyan 75

Sophomore wing Jessee Battle (Gahanna/Lincoln) and sophomore guard Isaac Ward (Circleville/Logan Elm) buried 3-pointers during the closing seconds as Ohio Wesleyan narrowed an 8-point deficit to 3, but Roanoke held on for a win in the championship game of the Morris Cregger Invitational, hosted by Roanoke College on Saturday in Salem, Va.

Ohio Wesleyan had pulled to within 71-69 on a jumper by Ward with 1:31 left in regulation time, but the Maroons sank 6 straight free throws to open up a 77-69 lead with :25 to go.  Battle drilled a 3-pointer with :17 to play, and after Roanoke's Zach Rosenthal split a pair of free throws to make it 78-72, Ward connected from downtown to make it a one-possession game.  Rosenthal split another pair of free throws for a 79-75 lead, and the Bishops were not able to get off a final shot.

Junior wing David Rice (Cleveland/Parma Padua Franciscan) scored the first 5 points of the game, and the Bishops opened up a 21-13 advantage on a Battle 3-pointer midway through the first half.  Ohio Wesleyan's biggest lead came at 6:49 of the opening half, when a 3-pointer by senior post Tony Carter (Cleveland/Parma Heights Holy Name) made it 24-15 before the Maroons followed with an 11-2 run that included 3-pointers by Clayton Gaither and Rosenthal, tying the game at 26.

Ohio Wesleyan led, 45-43, on a bucket by junior guard Henry Hinkle (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) with 11:42 remaining, but the hosts took the lead with an 18-6 run, getting 3-pointers from Max Rottman, Gaither, and Rosenthal before Justin Kuthan converted a 3-point play for a 61-51 Roanoke lead with 7:42 to play, and the Maroons held on for the win.

Hinkle and Ward scored 20 points apiece for the Bishops, while Rice added 14.  Freshman wing Aiden Schmidt (Dublin/Coffman) led Ohio Wesleyan with 8 rebounds, and Hinkle and Rice shared the team lead with 5 assists apiece.

Hinkle and Ward represented Ohio Wesleyan on the all-tournament team.

Box Score