Scots Breeze Past Denison 111-57 In Conference Contest

Rodney Mitchell

WOOSTER, Ohio - The College of Wooster men's basketball team, which is ranked second in the nation by d3hoops.com, ran its record to a perfect 9-0 on the season with an impressive 111-57 victory over visiting Denison University in a North Coast Athletic Conference contest.

Playing in front of a large crowd on the team's first annual "Community Night", in which everybody gained free admission, Wooster extended its NCAA-leading home winning streak to 37 games, two more than Michigan State University's current streak of 35-straight wins at the Breslin Center.

Additionally, the Scots have now matched their second-best start to a season in school history, as they also began the year 9-0 in 1931, and more importantly, are off to a 4-0 start in the NCAC.

Wooster's execution on the offensive end was nearly flawless. The Scots converted a season-best 63.8 percent (44-of-69) of their shots from the floor, including a torrid 67.7 percent (21-of-31) in the opening stanza, which led to a 49-29 halftime advantage.

The hosts put away any thoughts of a Denison comeback by starting the second half with a 25-9 run in the first 6:36 of that stanza to gain a 36-point lead.

Seven players reached double figures for Wooster and all but one of the 13-man roster got in the scoring column. Junior Antwyan Reynolds (Mansfield, Ohio / Mansfield Senior) led the Scots in scoring for the third-straight game with 20 points, while becoming just the fourth player in school history to record six or more steals in a game. He also dished out five assists.

Sophomore forward Bryan Nelson (Kettering, Ohio / Kettering Fairmont) was a perfect 7-of-7 from the field en route to 14 points and eight rebounds, despite playing just 18 minutes. Senior Nate Gaubatz (Wooster, Ohio / Northwestern) contributed 13 points, a career-best eight assists, and four steals, while freshman Rodney Mitchell (Elida, Ohio / Elida) came off the bench to toss in a career-high 12 points.

Others reaching double figures for Wooster included sophomore Matt Smith (Elida, Ohio / Elida) with 11 points, as well as junior Brian Carlisle (Dayton, Ohio / Oakwood) and senior Steve Thompson (Orrville, Ohio / Rittman), who contributed 10 points apiece. Thompson also passed out six assists.

For Denison, which dropped to 1-8 overall and 1-3 in conference play, three individuals reached double digits in scoring led by senior John Swickrath with a total of 13 points. Junior Charlie DeLacey and sophomore Tony Price added 10 tallies apiece in the loss.

Wooster is off until Dec. 29-30 when it will play host to one of the top NCAA Division III tournaments in the country - the 39th annual E.M. "Mose" Hole Classic. The field will feature three of the top-eight teams currently ranked in the weekly Division III poll, including last year's national champion Calvin College.

The first game on Dec. 29 will pit Calvin, which is off to an 8-1 start and currently rated third, against eighth-ranked University of Chicago, which has opened with a 7-1 record, at 5:30 p.m. Then, Wooster will host long-time rival Case Western Reserve University in the other first round game.

The consolation contest will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 30, followed by the championship game.