DELAWARE, Ohio – The Ohio Wesleyan men's basketball team hosted Hope College on Saturday afternoon. The Battling Bishops fell behind late in the first half, and trailed 37-26 at the break. However, the Red and Black stormed back in the second half and held a three point lead with a minute left to play. Hope would ultimately sink two crucial free throws to take a 60-59 lead with just 10 seconds on the clock. OWU could not convert on a last-second look and fell to the Flying Dutchmen.

The Bishops drop to 3-5 on the season. Hope improves to 4-2. 

Hope started the contest strong, as the squad surged out to a 11-2 lead over Ohio Wesleyan. However, Jessee Battle ignited the Bishop offense with seven points, and the Bishops clawed back to cut the deficit to 29-26 with two minutes remaining before halftime. Hope took advantage of the closing minutes, using an 8-0 run to create an 11-point halftime margin.

Following the intermission, the Bishops went on a 17-7 run fueled by six points from Quinn Hart and five from Isaac Ward, giving the squad its first lead of the game. The final 10 minutes were a back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging baskets and neither able to maintain a lead. With just a minute remaining, Battle drove and laid it in, extending the Red and Black lead to three. The Flying Dutchmen quickly responded with a layup of their own and the Bishops led by one. With 10 seconds remaining, Hope's Parker Hovey grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed layup and was fouled on the putback, sending him to the line for crucial free throws. He ultimately converted both, putting Hope ahead 60-59. OWU got a shot off before the buzzer, but it failed to connect.

THE NUMBERS
The Bishops connected on 43.0% of their field-goal attempts and went 10-of-26 from three, shooting 38.6% from deep. The team went 7-for-15 from the free throw line.

Isaac Ward paced the OWU offense with a team-high 13 points.

Quinn Hart and James McCarthy each added 12 points, hitting three three-pointers apiece. Hart added three assists and two rebounds. McCarthy had one assist and one rebound.

Jessee Battle contributed nine points, grabbed four rebounds, made two steals, and dished one assist. 

Peyton Frey scored eight points and had three rebounds. 

Jake Lowman led the Bishops with six rebounds and three steals.

UP NEXT
The Bishops return to action next Saturday, December 13, as they travel to Kenyon for a 2 p.m. tipoff.