Box Score
Denison 74, Ohio Wesleyan 70

Senior post Phil Wallace (Akron/Norton) and fifth-year post Tony Carter (Cleveland/Parma Heights Holy Name) drilled 3-pointers that gave fourth-seeded Ohio Wesleyan an 8-point lead, but 24th-ranked Denison went on a 13-0 run to rally for a win in a North Coast Athletic Conference tournament semifinal on Friday in Granville.

The top-seeded Big Red advance to the tournament championship game to face third-seeded Wooster, which upset second-seeded Wabash, 73-57, in Friday's first semifinal matchup.

Ohio Wesleyan led, 60-59, with just under 5 minutes to play when Wallace buried a 3-pointer, was fouled, and sank a free throw to complete a 4-point play, and Carter followed with a 3-pointer for a 67-59 Bishop lead with 3:47 left in regulation time.

Denison pulled closer when Darren Rubin was fouled on a 3-point attempt and sank all 3 free throws, and lay-ins by Aidan King and Cameron Smith brought the hosts within 67-66 before Rubin's jumper from the lane gave the Big Red a 68-67 lead with :44 remaining.

Senior guard Henry Hinkle (Powell/Olentangy Liberty) had a 3-pointer circle the rim and come out on the Bishops' next possession, and the Bishops had to foul 3 times in order to send the Big Red to the free throw line, with Rubin eventually hitting both ends of a one-and-one for a 70-67 Denison lead with :20.9 remaining.

Hinkle worked free for a stepback 3-pointer with :08 left, but the shot wouldn't fall, and Denison's Aidan King grabbed the rebound and was fouled with :05.8 to go.  King missed the front end of the one-and-one, but Cameron Smith came up with the offensive rebound and sank a pair of free throws for a 72-67 lead.

Carter knocked down a 3-pointer to keep the Bishops alive, making it 72-70 with :01.2 remaining.  Ohio Wesleyan fouled Smith on the ensuing inbounds play, but Smith sank both free throws for the 74-70 final.

Three-pointers by senior wing David Rice (Cleveland/Parma Padua Franciscan) and Wallace had broken an 18-18 tie and given Ohio Wesleyan the biggest lead by either team during the first half, but the Big Red rallied to take a 32-31 lead at the intermission on Smith's 3-pointer.

Ohio Wesleyan then got trifectas from Wallace, junior wing Jessee Battle (Gahanna/Lincoln), and Hinkle to turn a 54-51 deficit into a 60-54 lead, then stretched the margin to 8 on the 3-pointers by Wallace and Carter.

Hinkle led the Bishops with 27 points.  Carter finished with 17 points and a team-high 8 boards.  Wallace scored 12 points and led the Bishops with 5 assists.

Hinkle represented Ohio Wesleyan on the all-tournament team.

Box Score