MBB: North Coast Athletic Conference

[ScotsFan]

I said that because Wooster was in a 2-loss hole to OWU and Wabash before NCAC play resumed, and Witt had been sporadically effective and ineffective. Wabash and OWU were playing the best, most-consistent ball and it was easy to think that OWU would have been able to handle Witt at home.

Now, Witt has the two-game lead over Wooster, Wabash lost a tough one to their rival and OWU has fallen to a 2-loss tie with Wooster.

OWU already lost to Witt at home...

[smedindy]

Again, my comment was related to the time BEFORE conference play re-started, my friend, as I said in the statement "before NCAC play resumed".

[David Collinge]

Here's the up-to-the-minute conference standings:
                     NCAC    Overall
Wittenberg    5-0    11-3
Wabash    4-1    12-2
Wooster    3-2    12-2
Ohio Wesleyan    3-2    11-3
DePauw    3-2    9-5
Denison    3-2    6-8
Hiram    2-3    9-5
Kenyon    1-4    7-7
Oberlin    1-4    6-8
Allegheny    0-5    2-12

[woosterbooster]

Not aligned as neatly as one of Kohl's Christmas sweater displays, but it'll do.

[ScotsFan]

I just wanted to throw out some props to Josh Claytor and his post holiday play!  He has been en fuego since after the holiday break.  He is shooting at an 80% clip (32-40) over the last 4 games and averaging almost 18 ppg over those 4 games. 

It seems to me that Wooster is becoming less and less of a perimeter oriented team basically since their losses to Witt and Wabash and have made a much more concerted effort of pounding the ball inside and having a post player shooting 80% and scoring 18 ppg doesn't hurt in that effort.   

[smedindy]

This weekend's NCAC slate. The Big 10 is emulating the NCAC, I feel, or at least it seems that way to me after seeing Minnesota beat IU last night. Sigh.

Oberlin (1-4, 6-8) @ Wabash (4-1, 12-2) - The Yeomen picked the wrong day to travel to Chadwick. I think the LG's use this game to exorcize their DPU demons. You can't take Oberlin lightly anymore, and I don't think Antoine Carpenter will let his charges do such a thing anyway.

Hiram (2-3, 9-5) @ Kenyon (1-4, 7-7) - Kenyon is a better team than their 1-4 conference mark, and some say Hiram's 9-5 record belies their actual performance. At any rate, this will be a great game and could be key in the scramble for the seeding at the bottom end of the NCAC tourney - not that any game there will be a cakewalk.

Ohio Wesleyan (3-2, 11-3) @ Allegheny (0-5, 2-12) - The Bishops desperately need to get back on the winning patch if they want to challenge for NCAC tourney hosting duties. A big win over the Gators will help, but I think few of us (with one exception) saw them losing to the Big Red. If OWU falters, then they're in deep trouble.

Denison (3-2, 6-8) @ Wittenberg (5-0, 11-3) - The Big Red finally closed out a game against a top-notch opponent and now face another in the Old Tigers. Wittenberg's right now in the pole position for the conference title, but they can't be complacent against Denison. The Big Red could make this uncomfortable.

Wooster (3-2, 12-2) @ DePauw (3-2, 9-5) - A huge game. Wooster has righted the ship and now is pounding the ball inside instead of relying on a perimeter game as noted below. The New Tigers have the ability to shoot, and they showed they could defend in beating the Little Giants. But was it rivalry adrenaline or an indicator of a defensive resurgence by DPU? This game will answer that question. The winner still has a chance to host the NCAC tourney, and the loser may have to scramble to host an NCAC first-round game.

[Wabash2011]

Easy one for Wabash today...65 to 42 over Oberlin.  Coach Carp called off the dogs with 8 minutes left.  Merritt Held to 2 points.  Zinnerman with 15, Bailey 12 pts, 9 rebounds.  Oberlin lead by Simpson with 16.  Witt on Wednesday for LGs.

[wooscotsfan]

At the Half:  DePauw 32  Wooster 26

Wooster is being led by Xavier Brown with 12 points and Doug Thorpe with 5.

DePauw's top scorers are Michael Wilkison with 9 points, Tommy Fernitz with 6 and Sean Haseley with 6.

Tigers outrebounded the Scots 17 to 13 in the Half.  Wooster also had 8 turnovers.

Josh Claytor & Jake Mays combined only had 2 shot attempts so the Wooster guards did not feed the post.

[smedindy]

Hiram beats Kenyon 77-67. Jamaal Watkins led the Terriers with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Ikenna Nwadibia led the Lords with 18 points and 15 boards.

OWU was up double digits against Allegheny with a minute to go, and then my live-stats feed went kaputsky.

Denison and Witt are tied at 55 with 4:15 to go!

DPU leads Wooster 62-57 with 2:03 to go.

[smedindy]

OWU beat the Gators 72-55.

DPU leading Wooster by 12 with 30 seconds to go.

Dension trailing by three with 1:24 to go.

[wooscotsfan]

Final:  DePauw 75  Wooster 66

This game was tied at 57-57 (3:50 left) and then DePauw scored the next 11 points.  Congrats to the Tigers!

Wooster was led in scoring by Xavier Brown with 18 points, Doug Thorpe with 14 and Matt Fegan with 9.

DePauw's leaders were Michael Wilkison with 18, Sean Haseley with 15, Alex Payne with 14 and Barry Flynn 10.

Scots lost this game on the boards; they were outrebounded 31 to 25.  3 more turnovers than DePauw also hurt.

Wooster also failed to feed the post as Josh Claytor attempted only 5 shots in the game.

Wooster is now 12-3, 3-3 NCAC.  It is now very unlikely that Wooster will win the NCAC title this year, IMO.

[smedindy]

Witt closes out Denison 67-58. The Big Red stormed back from a 15-point deficit to tie the game, but couldn't get over the hump. Clayton Black led the Old Tigers with 15.

The results today set up this week's 'game of the year' in the NCAC. Wabash travels to Witt on Wednesday.

[fantastic50]

The grand opening of Wooster's new Scot Center was this tonight, on the eve of the second semester starting.  What a great facility, for student-athletes and non-athletes alike!  http://www.woosterathletics.com/scotcenter/index

[WAlum]

Gorgeous facility!

[seinfeld]

Looks like a pretty impressive facility, but just about all of us will never know, since we aren't allowed in. Unless you are currently a student, staff or faculty (or Emeriti), you can't use it. Even alumni, who were responsible for funding it (at least some of them), aren't eligible to use it.

http://www.woosterathletics.com/scotcenter/guidelines#Admission

Is this a similar policy at other schools?