No. 4 Scots Trying to Close Out Third-Straight NCAC Championship

Evan Will

The College of Wooster, ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Div. III poll (D3hoops.com), will close out its regular season this week, with hopes of wrapping up the North Coast Athletic Conference championship. The Fighting Scots currently hold a one-game lead in the league standings and would clinch at least a share of the 2006-07 NCAC title Wednesday, Feb. 14, via a win on the road against Kenyon College (10-13, 6-8 NCAC), which enters this week part of a five-way tie for fourth-place. Wooster prevailed in the teams’ initial meeting this season by an 89-54 count, thanks to a stretch which saw the Scots make 16-of-18 field goals early on. Tip-off at the now-year old $70 million Kenyon Athletic Center, which Wooster helped the Lords inaugurate last Jan. 25, in Gambier, Ohio, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. If the Scots are victorious on Wednesday, then they can earn the NCAC championship outright Saturday, Feb. 17, when Ohio Wesleyan University (15-8, 9-5 NCAC) visits Timken Gymnasium for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The third-place Battling Bishops played Wooster tough earlier this season (Jan. 20), but the Scots triumphed 61-54. If Wooster closes out the NCAC championship this week, it will mark the Scots’ third in a row, seventh in the last 10 years, and 10th overall, which would tie Wittenberg University for the most titles.

Last Week: Wooster won twice in as many games, improving to 20-3 overall and maintaining its one-game lead in the NCAC (13-1).

On Feb. 7, the Scots scored 19 unanswered points from the 4:46 mark of the first half until 16:57 remained in the second, paving the way for a 90-73 victory over visiting Hiram College in NCAC action. Wooster never trailed, but was unable to pull away from an overmatched Hiram team until late in the opening half. Leading 31-27, the Scots went on an 11-0 run to go into the break up 42-27, and during the second, they extended the lead to 23 (50-27) before the Terriers broke a nearly eight minute scoreless drought. Wooster continued to stay ahead by 20-plus most of the remainder of the game. Five Scots hit double figures in scoring, led by Evan Will (Dublin, Ohio / Dublin Coffman), who followed up his career-high 14 rebounds on Feb. 3 with a double-double of 15 points and 12 boards. James Cooper (Springfield, Ohio / Springfield South) had 14 points, all in the first half when he made 4-of-6 3-pointers, while Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) scored 13 and grabbed eight rebounds. Also, Marty Bidwell (Middletown, Ohio / Bishop Fenwick) added 10 points and a team-high five assists, while Robert Melick (Gambier, Ohio / Mt. Vernon) chipped in a season-high 10 points.

On Feb. 10, Wabash College attempted two tying 3-pointers during the final 30 seconds, but neither dropped and Wooster escaped Crawfordsville, Ind., with a 68-63 NCAC victory. The Scots trailed 61-60 with under 3:00 to go, but then, Bidwell produced the game’s key play, connecting on a 3-pointer while being fouled. He made the ensuing free throw for a four-point play and a three-point Wooster lead (64-61). After a scoreless possession for each, Wabash pulled within one on a pair of free throws at the 1:52 mark only to see the Scots respond on the ensuing possession again, this time with Will getting free for a lay-up to make it 66-63. The Little Giants would have four more possessions, but went scoreless. Overall, Port ended up with 23 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, marking his third double-double in the last seven contests and 16th of his career, while Bidwell produced his second-highest point total of the season with 14, including 3-of-4 3-point shooting. Cooper added 17 points and Will posted team-highs of four assists and three steals.

This and That: Wooster has now extended its streak of 20-win seasons to 11 ... Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) moved into third-place on the Scots’ career scoring list last week, elevating his point total to 1,607. The only two ahead of Port, who also ranks third in team history in 3-pointers made (202), fourth in assists (359), and fifth in blocked shots (103), are fellow Wooster greats Bryan Nelson (1,957 from 1999-03) and Tom Dinger (2,370 from 1967-71).