MBB: Ohio Athletic Conference

[David Collinge]

Capital is outplaying ONU in the first half at Ada, and the PBs are in foul trouble to boot, but they're far from out of it.  Crusaders lead 35-24 at the half.  Badenhop had 0 points in the first half. 

UPDATE:  ONU scores the first 5 points of the second half to cut the lead to 35-29.
UPDATE:  47-34 Cap., 12:21 left.  Gehle with 18 for ONU, it seems he's keeping the PB's in the game.
UPDATE:  Capital leads 53-44, 9:00 left, and the ONU announcers are displeased with the officiating.  The WONB webcast include a live video feed of the studio, where the student working the board seems somewhat less than interested in the game.  It's a little voyeuristic; I hope he doesn't do anything embarrassing.
UPDATE:  Gehle sinks a 3 to close the gap to 58-53, under 6:00 left.  Gehle has 24 points.  Now Cannan scores on the back door, and ONU is within 3 for the first time since I tuned in.  Timeout, Capital, 4:54 left.
UPDATE:  The ONU announcers have lost patience with the officials.  ONU is plagued with turnoveritis, and Capital has reopened their lead, now up to 10 points with 2:50 left.
UPDATE:  ONU is fouling now, and the crowd is leaving.  Capital is going to pull off the upset.
UPDATE:  Capital wins, 68-57.

[David Collinge]

B-W wins at Muskingum 74-61.  B-W and Capital are now tied for the conference lead at 5-1; ONU one game back at 4-2, to be joined by the Heidelberg/Otterbein winner and JCU if they can beat Marietta.

[ScotsFan]

And the topsy turvy world that is the OAC continues...

Who would've guessed that B-W would now be tied with Cap for the lead in this conference after today?  And B-W has already won @ONU and @JCU so it appears that they might be a tad in the driver's seat???

[sac]

After a couple down years, it would appear the OAC is re-establishing itself as the best league in the Great Lakes Region.

[wooscotsfan]

All the OAC 1/6 Final Scores:

Capital 68  Ohio Northern 57 (corrected the typo, Cap had 68)
Baldwin-Wallace 74  Muskie 61
John Carroll 87  Marietta 71
Heidelberg 95  Otterbein 77
Wilmington 80  Mount Union 60

Cap and BW are both 5-1
ONU, JCU and Heidelberg are all 4-2

[ScotsFan]

I never would've guessed that Heide woud be tied with ONU and JCU for 2nd in the conference at this point in the season?!

[kiltedbryan]

All the OAC 1/6 Final Scores:

Capital 58  Ohio Northern 57

Cap and BW are both 5-1
ONU, JCU and Heidelberg are all 4-2

wooscotsfan, that's Capital 68, Ohio Northern 57, I think.  ONU's second double-digit loss at home this year.  Maybe they should stick to road games, with wins at Witt and at Woo already!

[David Collinge]

No, the Witt win was in Ada.

Heidelberg's 3-2 consists of wins over Musky, MUC, and Ott, the latter two on the road, and losses to ONU and Capital, both at home.  I'd be surprised if they hang near the top much longer, as they have JCU, B-WC, and ONU among their next five opponents.

[wooscotsfan]

Congrats to Baldwin-Wallace Coach Steve Bankson who picked up his 400th careeer win last night!    He has coached 27 seasons at B-W.

[pennstghs]

sac-what two NCAC teams are in the top 10 again?
what OAC team made the final four last year?

[Mr. Ypsi]

sac-what two NCAC teams are in the top 10 again?
what OAC team made the final four last year?

Two great teams does not a solid conference make.  Until some folks start CONSISTENTLY challenging Woo and Witt, the NCAC will be the Big Ten of the 70s - the Big Two and the Little Eight.

[Basketball23]

I had alittle to much time on my hands today so i was looking at the NCAC's record vs. the OAC this season. I wasn't at all surprised to see that the OAC dominated winning 12 of the 16 games played this year between the 2 leauges. I didnt look back any further then this year but i'm willing to bet its been about the same for atleast the last 4 or 5 years. Witt and Wooster are very good teams and would probably finish in the top 5 of the OAC but top to bottom there is no comparison between the 2 leauges. This years Muskingum team is a perfect example. 0-6 in leauge play so far and tied for last but they have 3 wins against NCAC schools this year.

[Gregory Sager]

Witt and Wooster are very good teams and would probably finish in the top 5 of the OAC

"Probably"?

[Toph]

Witt and Wooster are very good teams and would probably finish in the top 5 of the OAC

"Probably"?

I think they would both finish in the top five!  What wouldn't happen, however, was guarantee a spot for the the two of them in the league championship game year in and year out.  I've said for the past few years that the NCAC might as well eliminate the conference tournament and save Witt and Wooster the risk of injury in meaningless games.  I wish there was a place where I could put some money on who would make the NCAC championship game before the season...I'd be a rich man.

[David Collinge]

I think they would both finish in the top five!  What wouldn't happen, however, was guarantee a spot for the the two of them in the league championship game year in and year out.  I've said for the past few years that the NCAC might as well eliminate the conference tournament and save Witt and Wooster the risk of injury in meaningless games.  I wish there was a place where I could put some money on who would make the NCAC championship game before the season...I'd be a rich man.

You might get rich betting on Wooster, which has been in the last 10 title games (probably not, since the odds would be so small), but betting on Witt is a more risky proposition.  Witt has faced Wooster in the last three title games, but was in only ("only") 3 of the prior 7, the same number as Allegheny over that span. 

Basketball23, rest assured that you won't find any serious argument against the proposition that the OAC is a deeper and stronger league top-to-bottom, and has been that way pretty much every year since the Five Colleges of Ohio left to form the NCAC.