Win Streak Continues; ’Berg in the Hunt for the OAC

In its fourth-straight win, the Heidelberg College men’s basketball team maintained its second place standing in the Ohio Athletic Conference and continues its fight for the OAC crown. By beating Otterbein College 82-72 the Berg moves up to 5-1 in the OAC, 11-2 overall, while the Cardinals fall to 2-4 in OAC action, 3-10 for the season.

The Student Princes jumped out to an early lead, 8-0 just three minutes into play, with Josh Calver (Shelby, Ohio / Shelby) sinking in four points straight in the form of a layup and two free throws. The aggressive offensive play did not stop there, three ’Berg players reached double-digit scoring before the buzzer to signal the half even sounded. They included Brian Schmidt (Hinckley, Ohio / Brunswick ) with 10 points, Andrew Lemmon (Port Clinton, Ohio / Port Clinton) with 12, and Greg Tyson Jr. (Lima, Ohio / Lima Senior) dropping in 13. Heidelberg led Otterbein 45-28 at the end of the half.

The second half started where the first left off, as Lemmon hit two unanswered layups straight out of the gate, joined by Schmidt with a layup of his own. Late into the half the Berg would go on another scoring run, with Schmidt and Tyson combining for nine points in just over two minutes. The 10-point difference at the end of the game was the closest the Cardinals would get to matching the scoring power of the Student Princes.

Overall, Lemmon led the Heidelberg offensive with his second-straight double-double, fifth of the year, by posting 17 points and a career-high 19 rebounds. He also contributed a team-high four steals on the night. Schmidt matched his season-high of 24 points in a single game, while going 12-of-17 from the floor.

For Otterbein, Ross Banaszak led the Cardinals with 19 points and eight rebounds, while going 4-for-6 from the three-point line. Adam Wells matched Banaszak by also reaching up for eight rebounds.

Heidelberg faces off next on January 16 against Capital at home. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., and the public is encouraged to come out and support the Berg as it fights for first in the OAC.