TIFFIN, Ohio—The Heidelberg University men’s basketball team will close its four-game road trip Wednesday, Jan. 18 as it travels to University Heights, Ohio for an Ohio Athletic Conference game with John Carroll University. Tip-off from the Tony DeCarlo Varsity Center is slated for 7:30 p.m.
Live stats for the game will be available at http://www.sidearmstats.com/jcu/mbball/index.htm.
The Berg (5-10, 3-5 OAC) has won two of its last four games and is 1-2 during its current road swing following a 67-49 loss Saturday to the University of Mount Union in Alliance. Junior forward Victor Fortkamp (St. Henry) led the Student Princes against Mount Union with 10 points. Junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) had nine points and junior second-team All-OAC guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Harvest Prep) recorded eight points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists.
Givner will lead the Student Princes into University Heights scoring 12.5 points per game and pulling down 4.7 rebounds per game. Givner is also tied for second in the OAC with 50 assists to his credit. Fortkamp is averaging 11.2 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. and is fourth in the league with a 57.9 (66-of-114) field goal percentage. Davis scores 10.5 ppg., is third in the conference with 8.1 rpg., fifth with a 57.0 (61-of-107) field goal percentage and leads the circuit with 32 blocks. Heidelberg averages 71.2 ppg., shoots 44.5 percent collectively, is second in the OAC with 38.0 rpg. and leads with 4.1 blocks per game.
John Carroll (11-3, 6-2 OAC) sits in a tie for first place atop the league standings and has won six of its last seven games, including a 90-80 win Saturday against Marietta College in University Heights. Corey Shontz poured in a game-high 30 points against Marietta, and Mark Hester and Patrick Sweeney added 20 points and 14 points, respectively.
Shontz leads the Blue Streaks and is second in the conference in scoring (17.1 ppg.), first with a 49.2 (31-of-63) three point field goal percentage and 61 assists, and is third with 32 steals. Mark Hester averages 12.6 ppg. and 6.8 rpg. and shoots 47.2 percent (59-of-125) from the field. Joey Meyer scores 8.9 ppg. and is sixth in the league with a 43.4 (23-of-53) three point shooting percentage. JCU leads the OAC in scoring (84.4 ppg.), scoring margin (plus-10.1 ppg.), rebounding (39.7 rpg.), three point shooting (37.6), and steals (10.5 steals per game). The Blue Streaks are also third with a collective 44.6 shooting percentage.
JCU has won six of the last 10 meetings between the two teams, including two consecutive, but the Student Princes are 3-3 in University Heights over that stretch. Four of the last five games between the two teams have been decided by seven points or less. In two games in 2010-11, Givner led the Berg with 15.0 ppg., 8.5 rpg. and 3.5 assists per game. Meyer averaged 16.5 ppg. for the Blue Streaks, while Shontz tallied 15.0 ppg., 5.5 rpg., 6.5 apg. and 4.5 spg.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Student Princes will return to Tiffin to host their first game in more than two weeks when they host Wilmington College on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m.
Probable Starters: John Carroll (11-3, 6-2 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Michael Hartnett—14-14—7.6 ppg., 75.8 FT%
Joey Meyer—14-14—8.9 ppg., 42.9 FG%, 43.4 3FG%
Corey Shontz—14-14—17.1 ppg., 54.9 FG%, 49.2 3FG%, 61 ast., 32 stl.
Kyle Hubbard—14-14—8.1 ppg., 44.4 FG%, 73.5 FT%
Mark Hester—14-14—12.6 ppg., 6.8 rpg., 47.2 FG%
Probable Starters: John Carroll (5-10, 3-5 OAC)
Name—GP-GS—Key Stats
Dane Givner—15-15—12.5 ppg., 4.7 rpg., 50 ast., 18 stl.
Victor Fortkamp—15-15—11.2 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 57.9 FG%, 71.7 FT%
Nate Davis—15-15—10.5 ppg., 8.1 rpg., 57.0 FG%, 72.3 FT%, 32 blk.
Lee Renner—7-3—6.1 ppg., 48.4 FG%, 43.5 3FG%
Quintin Aden Jr.—15-6—4.9 ppg., 40.5 FG%, 25 ast.