Springfield, Ohio — December 29, 2010 - The Heidelberg University men's basketball team fell short against Taylor University, 81-65, in the opening game of the 2010 Charles B. Zimmerman Classic. The event is hosted by Wittenberg University. The Berg drops to 4-6 overall, while the Trojans improve to 11-5 on the season.
The game saw seven lead changes throughout a close matchup, but the real difference-maker came from the floor, where Taylor could not miss the bucket down the stretch. The Trojans finished the game shooting 63.3-percent, led by Casey Coons at 11-of-17. He topped all scorers with 31 points, including two three-pointers and a 7-of-7 outing at the free-throw line.
Taylor held a 37-31 lead after the hard-fought first half, with Heidelberg owning a lead as late as 15 minutes into the period after leading by as many as five points early. Taylor led wire-to-wire in the second half, opening up an advantage that with five minutes remaining in the game grew to 22 points.
Sophomore guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Harvest Preparatory) led the Heidelberg offense with 21 points, including 3-of-5 from long range and 4-of-4 at the line. He also led the 'Berg with seven rebounds and chipped in two assists and two steals.
Junior guard Quintin Aden Jr. (Canal Winchester, Ohio / Harvest Preparatory) followed with nine points, while junior forward Darion Capers (Dayton, Ohio / Trotwood-Madison) and senior forward Kyle Tuley (Berea, Ohio / Berea) each added eight points from the floor.
Heidelberg will play in the consolation game tomorrow at 2:15 p.m.