Box Score | 7-Game Season Stats
NEW CONCORD, Ohio—Senior guard Darion Capers (Clayton/Trotwood-Madison) poured in a team-high 13 points and was joined in double figures by three more Student Princes as the Heidelberg University men’s basketball team defeated Muskingum University, 64-52, today in an Ohio Athletic Conference game at Performance Court in New Concord, Ohio. The win snapped a five-game losing streak and was the first in league play for the Berg.
Also scoring in double figures for Heidelberg (2-5, 1-3 OAC) were sophomore forward Victor Fortkamp (St. Henry) and forward C.J. Powell (Detroit, Mich./Bishop Foley) with 11 points each and senior forward Zane Wildermuth (Botkins) with 10 points. Powell and Wildermuth’s performances were both season highs. Junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.
Muskingum (2-6, 0-3 OAC) was led in scoring by Kyle Clinedinst with 17 points and Josh Brindley with 13 points. Clay Owings added nine points and hauled in a team-high five rebounds.
The Fighting Muskies began the game with a 7-0 run that was capped at the 16:35 mark when Jonathan Primes made a lay-up.
Capers then led Heidelberg on an 8-4 charge—making four lay-ups—and closed the game to 11-8 by the midway point of the opening half.
The Student Princes extended the run to 13-7 to close to within 14-13 when Powell canned a lay-up at the 5:44 mark, and they took their first lead of the game at 16-14 just seconds later as Powell buried a three-pointer.
Heidelberg outscored Muskingum, 9-0, over the next four minutes and built its largest lead of the first half at 25-14 following a jumper by Fortkamp with a minute to play.
The Muskies scored five straight points to close the half and entered intermission at a 25-19 deficit after Owings made a three-pointer as time expired.
The Student Princes rebuilt a double-digit lead, taking a 33-23 advantage at the 16:29 mark of the second half when Givner canned a jumper.
Both teams matched each other over the next eight minutes. Fortkamp gave the Berg a 12-point margin by sinking a pair of free throws with 8:46 on the clock as Heidelberg took a 48-26 lead.
Heidelberg maintained a 13-point advantage for nearly four minutes, until Wildermuth made the first of two free throws, grabbed his own rebound on the missed second shot and made a second chance lay-up, pushing the Student Prince lead to 56-42 at the 5:06 mark.
The Student Princes continued to outpace Muskingum and cruised to victory during the latter minutes of the game.
The Berg shot a season-bests of 52.4 percent (22-of-42) from the field and 72.0 percent (18-of-25) from the charity stripe and controlled a 32-22 rebounding advantage.
The Tri-Color returns to the hardwood Thursday, Dec. 15 when it hosts Waynesburg (Pa.) University in a non-conference game.