WOOSTER, Ohio—Jamaal Watkins tallied game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead Hiram College past the Heidelberg University men’s basketball team, 88-77, tonight in a non-conference game in the first day of the “Mose” Hole/Kiwanis Classic at Timken Gymnasium on the campus of host institution The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. Sophomore forward Victor Fortkamp (St. Henry) led the Berg with 18 points and eight rebounds.
In addition to Fortkamp for the Student Princes (3-7, 1-3 Ohio Athletic Conference), junior second-team All-OAC guard Dane Givner (Pittsburgh, Pa./Harvest Prep) poured in 15 points, junior honorable mention All-OAC forward Nate Davis (Dayton/Stivers) tallied 14 markers and eight boards, and senior guard Darion Capers (Clayton/Trotwood-Madison) added 12 points. Davis also recorded three steals and three assists. Givner and Capers also tallied three assists apiece.
In addition to Watkins for Hiram (7-3, 1-1 North Coast Athletic Conference), Alan Sheppard added 16 points and Aaron Stefanov and Andrew Wiegand had 15 points and 10 points, respectively.
After the Terriers took a 2-0 lead to begin the game, Heidelberg went on a 6-0 run capped by a Capers jumper at 16:23.
Hiram capped a 7-2 run of its own in just over a minute to retake a 9-8 lead when Stefanov hit a jumper at the 15:20 mark.
The Student Princes went on to tie the game, 13-13, thanks to a three-pointer by senior forward Paul Dunn (Tiffin/Mohawk) at 11:48.
After two more ties at 15-15 and 17-17, the Terriers embarked on an 8-0 run, taking a 25-17 advantage when Wiegand made a lay-up at the 9:11 mark.
Heidelberg started to chip into the Terrier lead and tied the game again, 29-29, with 3:24 on the clock following a jumper and a pair of free throws from Capers.
The Tri-Color gained its first lead, 31-29, since 15:30 of the opening half as Davis canned a jumper with 2:09 to play, but Hiram countered with another 7-2 run and took a 36-33 lead with a Watkins jumper.
Fortkamp closed the half at the 26-second mark with a lay-up, sending the Student Princes into the intermission looking at a one-point deficit.
Hiram came out of the locker room and made three consecutive triples to take a 45-35 advantage just 1:56 into the second half and used the momentum to hold a double-digit lead for much of the second half, leading by as many as 19 points as late as the 9:00 mark.
Heidelberg would close the gap to seven points at 84-77 with less than a minute to play as Givner made a trey, but the Student Princes could not find the momentum to overtake the deficit.
Despite the loss, the Berg shot 42.9 percent (30-of-70) from the field and 73.7 percent (14-of-19) from the free throw line, held a 41-38 rebounding advantage and turned the ball over just 10 times.
Hiram shot 50.0 percent (31-of-62) from the field and a blistering 69.6 percent (10-of-21) from the three-point line.
The Student Princes will close the “Mose” Hole/Kiwanis Classic tomorrow when it takes on Wooster at 7:30 p.m. Live stats for that match will be available at http://livestats.prestosports.com/wooster/. Live audio/video will be available at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wooster-mens-basketball.