Scots Use 12 Three-Pointers to Down Mt. Union 71-56

Ryan Snyder hit four three-pointers in the Scots' win over Mt. Union.

A night after struggling from the outside (5-for-25 from three-point range), The College of Wooster bounced back by hitting 12-of-23 three-pointers to earn a 71-56 road win over Mt. Union College on Sunday (Nov. 30) and a split in the inaugural North Coast Athletic Conference/Ohio Athletic Conference Challenge.

Wooster (3-1), which dropped a 74-71 decision at home to Capital University Saturday night, has still not lost back-to-back games since the end of the 1997-98 season.

At Mt. Union, the Scots jumped out to a double-digit lead (18-8) less than 10 minutes into the action, and moments later, went on an 8-2 run to go ahead 27-12. The Purple Raiders (2-2) tried to get back into it, outscoring their visitors 9-2 only to see Wooster score the final five points of the half, including a late three by Kyle Witucky (Zanesville, Ohio / Zanesville), to go in up 34-21.

The Scots kept their lead in double-digits the entire second half, extending it to as much as 22 points with 2:12 to play before Mt. Union scored the game’s final seven points.

Four Wooster players made multiple three-pointers and four finished with double figures in the scoring column, including Ryan Snyder (Sebring, Ohio / Sebring McKinley). He connected on 4-of-5 three-pointers, a night after missing on sending the Capital game into overtime with a last-second three, while tallying 13 points and six rebounds.

Also with 13 points and six boards was center Matt Schlingman (Ashland, Ohio / Ashland), while Blake Mealer (Wauseon, Ohio / Liberty Benton) and Tom Port (Avon Lake, Ohio / Avon Lake) produced 12- and 11-points outings, respectively, each with two three-pointers made apiece.

Witucky knocked down a pair from the arc, too, and posted a game- and career-high seven rebounds.

The Purple Raiders were paced by the play of Rob Paulauskas and Kyle Kaprinski, who tossed in a dozen markers apiece.

The Scots dominated most every statistical category, including outrebounding Mt. Union 41-30.

The earlier game in Alliance, Ohio, on Sunday saw Ohio Weslyean outlast Capital 69-65 in overtime to help give the NCAC a 3-1 edge in the 2003 NCAC/OAC Challenge.

Next, Wooster will get right into league play with a trip to Denison University (1-4) on Wednesday (Dec. 3), with the opening tip scheduled for 6 p.m.