TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University men’s basketball team will take to the road for the last time of the 2011-12 season Wednesday, Feb. 8 when it faces Ohio Northern University in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at the ONU Sports Center in Ada, Ohio. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Live stats for the game will be available at http://www2.onu.edu/livestats/mbb/xlive.htm.
Heidelberg (6-15, 4-10 OAC) is looking to snap a four-game losing slide following a 68-60 loss Saturday at Capital University. Three Student Princes—senior guard C.J. Powell (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Foley) (11), junior guard Quintin Aden (Canal Winchester/Harvest Prep) (10) and junior second-team All-OAC guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Harvest Prep) (10)—scored in double figures, while junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) nearly came away with a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds.
Fourth-year head coach Anthony Gholson will likely start Givner and Aden in the backcourt and Davis, sophomore Victor Fortkamp (St. Henry) and freshman Bryan Crawford (Delaware/Buckeye Valley) at the post positions. Givner leads the scoring attack for the Tri-Color, averaging 13.0 points per game. He tallies 4.8 rebounds per game and is fifth in the OAC with 65 assists. Fortkamp averages 11.2 ppg., 5.1 rpg. and shoots 53.9 (89-for-165) percent from the field, good for third in the OAC. Davis nearly averages a double-double with 11.0 ppg. and 8.6 rpg., ranking third in the league, is sixth with a 51.9 (84-for-162) shooting percentage and leads the circuit with 42 blocks. Aden scored 5.7 ppg. and shoots 44.0 (44-of-100) percent from the field. Crawford scores 2.8 ppg. and averages 1.8 rpg.
The Student Princes score 69.9 ppg., are second in the OAC by averaging 38.3 rpg. and shoot 42.9 percent overall. They are also first in the OAC with 4.0 blocks per game.
ONU (10-11, 6-8 OAC) snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday with a 70-63 win over Marietta College in Ada. Scott Schnelle led ONU with 18 points on six-of-nine shooting, Branden Rushton had 15 points, and Jared Horstman and Dominque Royal chipped in 11 and 10, respectively.
Fourth-year head coach John Rhodes will likely start guards Branden Rushton, Jared Horstman and Tony Meyer and post players Scott Schnelle and Adam Bair. Rushton is tied for eighth in the OAC in scoring at 14.1 ppg., leads the circuit with an 83.6 (51-of-61) free throw percentage and is tenth with a 36.5 (23-of-63) three point field goal percentage. Schnelle scores 12.7 ppg., is fifth in the league with 6.4 rpg. and eighth with a 50.3 (94-of-187) field goal percentage. Horstman tallies 8.5 ppg., grabs 4.8 rpg. and leads the team with 47 assists. Bair averages 5.4 ppg. and shoots 55.0 (44-of-80) percent from the field. Meyer averages 3.0 ppg. and has passed for 42 assists.
The Polar Bears score 68.5 ppg., are second in the OAC in shooting at 45.3 percent, fourth in free throw shooting at 71.5 percent and grab 31.4 rpg.
Heidelberg currently sits in a tie for eighth place in the league standings with the University of Mount Union and Otterbein University. A Student Prince win and a loss by Muskingum University at Wilmington College would move the Berg into a tie for seventh place. The top eight teams in the 10-team league receive a berth in the OAC tournament.
The Berg has won four of the last five meetings against ONU, including three straight in Ada, and is 4-6 in the series’ last 10 meetings. Seven of the last 10 contests have been decided by seven points or less. In the last game between the two schools, a 75-74 ‘Berg win in Tiffin on Jan. 4, Davis tallied 16 points on six-of-10 shooting and matched a game-high nine rebounds, while Givner and injured guard Darion Capers (Clayton/Trotwood-Madison) each added 14 markers, as Heidelberg shot 53.8 (28-of-52) percent, its second highest shooting mark of the season. Schnelle led four Polar Bears in double figures with 22 points and nine rebounds, Horstman added 15 points and seven boards, and Rushton and Taylor Kuhlman chipped in 13 and 12, respectively.
Following Wednesday's game, the Berg will wrap up its 2011-12 regular season by hosting three straight games, beginning Saturday, Feb. 11 with Marietta.
Probable Starters: Ohio Northern (10-11, 6-8 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Tony Meyer—21-21—3.0 ppg., 42 ast.
Branden Rushton—21-21—14.1 ppg., 44.8 FG%, 83.6 FT%, 41 ast.
Jared Horstman—21-81—8.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.42.8 FG%, 47 ast.
Adam Bair—21-6—5.4 ppg., 55.0 FG%
Scott Schnelle—12.7 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 50.3 FG%, 36 blk.
Probable Starters: Heidelberg (6-15, 4-10 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Quintin Aden—21-9—5.7 ppg., 44.0 FG%, 29 ast.
Dane Givner—21-21—13.0 ppg., 4.8 rpg., 65 ast., 24 stl.
Victor Fortkamp—21-21—11.2 ppg., 5.1 rpg., 53.9 FG%, 73.2 FT%
Bryan Crawford—16-7—2.8 ppg., 1.8 rpg.
Nate Davis—21-21—11.0 ppg., 8.6 rpg., 51.9 FG%, 42 blk.