BEREA, OHIO — James Cooper scored a career-high 27 points, making five-of-six three-pointers, tonight (Thursday, March 3, 2005) as the fifth-ranked The College of Wooster men's basketball team beat Baldwin-Wallace College, 94-78, in the first round of the NCAA Division III National Tournament at the Timken Physical Education Center in Wooster.
Wooster shot 35-of-60 from the floor for a 58.3 shooting percentage for the game, including 14-of-26 from three-point range and 10-of-11 from the foul line and outrebounded B-W, 42-28.
With its win, Wooster is now 27-2 overall and advances to play ninth-ranked Albion (Mich.) College, 24-3 overall, at the Kresge Center in Albion on Saturday (March 5) at 7:00 p.m. With its loss, B-W ends its season at 20-9 overall.
In the first half, B-W led by as many as three points at 8-5 when sophomore forward Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open Door) hit a jumper at the15:07 mark. Wooster built its lead to as many as 12 points at 46-34 with 10.4 seconds left when Cooper hit a three-pointer.
In the second half, Wooster's Tom Port came out and connected on the team's first two three-point shots increasing the lead to 52-34 with 18:53 left. The Fighting Scots had their largest lead of 24 points on two occassions with the last one being, 79-55, with 7:24 left when Cooper hit a pair of foul shots.
Joining Cooper in double figures for Wooster were Kyle Witucky with 16 points, Port and Matt Schlingman scored 14 points each and Tim Vandervaart added 12.
B-W was led by sophomore forward Tori Davis with 25 points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Thad Davis (Elyria/ Open Door) scored 15, while sophomore forward Chad Clark (Fremont/ Ross) added 12 points and freshman guard Tyler Sekerak (Corry, Pa./ Corry) had 10.
With his 15 points tonight and two rebounds, Thad Davis ends his outstanding four-year career with 1,921 career points and 986 rebounds to rank second all-time in scoring and fourth in rebounding at B-W.
In addition, senior point guard Tom Harrington (North Royalton/ Parma Holy Name) had seven assists to increase his B-W single-season school-record total to 168 and Tori Davis had three blocked shots to increase his single-season school-record total to 64.
FOR MORE B-W SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu.
Game Notes #29 vs. The College of Wooster (NCAA Tournament)
The BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE YELLOW JACKET men's basketball team travels to Wooster, Ohio to play The College of Wooster Fighting Scots in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division III National Tournament on Thursday, March 3. The game will b played in the Timken Physical Education Center at 7:00 p.m. The winner of this game advances to play Albion (Mich.) College on Saturday, March 5 in Albion.
RADIO -- Baldwin-Wallace College campus radio station WBWC, 88.3 FM, broadcasts all home and away Yellow Jacket games both live and over the College internet Web site. The pregame show on radio starts 15 minutes prior to game time. For more information regarding B-W basketball broadcasts, please visit the B-W internet Web site at www.bw.edu/athletics.
BALDWIN-WALLACE COLLEGE
LOCATION : Berea, Ohio
NICKNAME: Yellow Jackets
CONFERENCE: Ohio Athletic
2004-2005 RECORD: 20-8
OAC RECORD: 10-8 (tied for fifth)
LAST GAME: Beat John Carroll, 82-77, on Feb. 26 in University Hts.
HEAD COACH: Steve Bankson
B-W RECORD: 365-298
YEAR AT B-W: 26th
CAREER RECORD: 40 yrs./ 646-412
LAST MEETING: 1988-89, Wooster won, 55-48, in Wooster
SERIES STREAK: Wooster, one game
SERIES RECORD: Wooster leads, 46-20
NEXT GAME: Saturday, March 5: at Albion (Mich.) College, TBA
THE COLLEGE OF WOOSTER
LOCATION: Wooster, Ohio
NICKNAME: Fighting Scots
CONFERENCE: North Coast Athletic
2004-2005 RECORD: 26-2
NCAC RECORD: 15-1
LAST GAME: Lost to Wittenberg, 61-59, on Feb. 26 at Wooster
HEAD COACH: Steve Moore
COW RECORD: 411-98
YEAR AT COW: 15th
CAREER RECORD: 498-163
The Pregame Notes -- The Baldwin-Wallace College Yellow Jacket men's basketball team will look to win its fourth straight game and stay on a strong roll as it travels to Wooster, Ohio to play in the first round of the 2005 NCAA Division III National Tournament on Thursday, March 3 against The College of Wooster. The game will b played in the Timken Physical Education Center at 7:00 p.m. The winner of this game advances to play Albion (Mich.) College on Saturday, March 5 in Albion.
The Yellow Jackets enter this game with a 20-8 overall record and advanced to the Division III National Tournament as the champion of the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament. B-W won its fourth OAC Tournament title despite being seeded sixth. The Yellow Jackets last played on Saturday (Feb. 26) when they beat OAC and Cleveland cross-town rival and 11th-ranked John Carroll University, 82-77, in the OAC Championship Game in University Heights.
The College of Wooster enters this game with a 26-2 overall record and was the regular season champion of the North Coast Athletic Conference with a 15-1 record. The Fighting Scots last played on Saturday (Feb. 26) when they lost to Wittenberg University, 61-59, in the championship game of the NCAC Tournament at Wooster.
The Baldwin-Wallace Versus The College of Wooster Series -- This is the 67th all-time meeting between B-W and Wooster in men's basketball. Wooster leads the series, 46-20, but B-W won the last meeting between the two teams in 1983-84 by the score of 75-66. Wooster was a member of the OAC until 1983-84 when it joined the then newly-formed NCAC.
B-W’s Ohio Athletic Conference Championships -- The B-W Yellow Jackets won their fourth OAC Tournament title this year (1967, 1996, 98, 2005) and are making their fifth NCAA appearance (1980, 1994, 96, 98, 2005).
The Division III National Poll -- Wooster was ranked first in the last D3hoops.com internet web site Division III national poll. B-W was unranked.
How Baldwin-Wallace Fared in the 2005 OAC Tournament -- Baldwin-Wallace College won its fourth Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament title by beating third-seeded Otterbein College in Westerville last Wednesday (Feb. 23) in the first round, 78-76 in overtime; throttled arch-rival Mount Union College, 85-50, in the semifinals at John Carroll University in University Heights; and won the title with a thrilling, 82-77 victory versus 11th-ranked JCU in the OAC Championship Game.
The Baldwin-Wallace College Starters and Bench Players -- Look for veteran Yellow Jackets Head Coach Steve Bankson to start 6’4” senior two-time All-OAC forward Thad Davis (Elyria/ Open Door Christian School), his brother, 6’4” sophomore All-OAC forward Tori Davis (Elyria/ Open Door Christian School). At the point guard will be 5’11” senior Academic All-OAC player Tom Harrington (North Royalton/ Parma Heights Holy Name) and at the wing will be 6’0” junior All-OAC player Keith Aufmuth (Brooklyn). Rounding out the starters will be either 6’2” sophomore guard Nick Meyer (Mentor), 6’0” freshman Tyler Sekerak (Corry, Pa./ Corry Area), 5’11” freshman guard Brendan Schuler (Fairview Park) or 6’5” sophomore wing Matt Marks (Boardman). Thad Davis tops the team in scoring with 20.2 points per game, grabs 12.0 rebounds per game and is canning 59.1 percent of his field goals (212-of-359). Tori Davis is second in scoring at 18.8 ppg., second with 8.7 rpg.and 26 steals, first with 61 blocked shots , and is shooting 60.8 percent from the floor (194-of-319). Keith Aufmuth is third in scoring at 9.9 ppg., first with 48 treys and is second with 95 assists. Harrington is fourth in scoring at 8.9 ppg., first with 161 assists, second with 38 three-pointers. Meyer scores 3.8 ppg., and has 16 three-pointers. Marks is averaging 5.0 ppg. and has 15 three-pointers. Schuler is averaging 3.9 ppg. and has 46 assists and 14 three-pointers. Sekerak is scoring 3.9 ppg., has 37 assists, is third on the team with 23 steals and has canned 11 three-pointers. Also off the bench, look for Bankson to play 6’4” sophomore forward Chad Clark (Fremont/ Ross) and 6’5” junior forward Charod Hale (Akron/Kenmore),
The College of Wooster Probable Starters and Bench Players-- Look for Head Coach Steve Moore to start 6’0” junior Kyle Witucky and 6’2” sophomore swingman Andy Van Horn in the backcourt. Look for the trio of 6’5” junior forward Tom Port, 6’6” sophomore forward Tim Vandervaart and 6’7” senior center Matt Schlingman to play on the inside. Schlingman is second in scoring (12.0 ppg.) and cans 69.2 percent of his field goals (119-of-172). Port is first in scoring at 13.5 ppg., grabs 6.3 rpg., has canned 50 three-pointers, passed for 99 assists, blocked 26 shots and made 27 steals. Witucky is fourth in scoring at 9.7 ppg., grabs 2.6 rpg., has passed for 99 assists and canned 57 treys. Vandervaart sciores 8.0 ppg., grabs 7.0 rpg. and makes 63.5 percent of his field goals (80-of-126). Van Horn scores 6.3 ppg., grans 3.6 rpg. and has 27 three-pointers.
Off the bench, look fr Moore to play 6’0” freshman guard James Cooper, 6’1” freshman guard Devin Fulk, 6’5” senior forward Blaker Mealer and 6’7” sophomore Justin Bradley. Cooper leads the “bench bunch” and is third on the team in scoring with 9.8 ppg. with 35 three-pointers. Mealer, who has started 14 games this season, scores 8.2 ppg., grabs 4.3 rpg. and cans 62.9 percent of his field goal attempts. Bradley scores 5.7 ppg. and makes 60 percent of his shots. Fulk is scoring 5.1 ppg. and has 21 triple’s.
In B-W’s Last Game on Saturday, Feb. 26 versus John Carroll in the OAC Championship Game at JCU: Baldwin-Wallace -- 82, John Carroll -- 77 -- In B-W’s last game, an 82-77 OAC Championship Game win against John Carroll University at the Tony DeCarlo Center in University Heights, the Yellow Jackets were led by sophomore forward Tori Davis with 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. His first blocked shot of the game gave him 59 and broke Kevin Braaten’s 1994-95 mark. In addition, senior forward Thad Davis had 18 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots and senior point guard Tom Harrington and junior guard Keith Aufmuth each chipped in with 11 markers. Harrington had five assists and now has a season-record of 161, surpassing Wayne Bilinovic’s 158 in 1989-90.
In Wooster’s Last Game on Saturday, Feb. 26 versus Wittenberg in the NCAC Championship Game at Wooster: Wittenberg -- 61, Wooster -- 59 -- In Wooster’s last game, a 61-59 loss to Wittenberg University in the championship game of the NCAC Tournament, the Fighting Scots were led by freshman guard James Cooper with 19 points. In addition, senior center Matt Schlingman had 12 points and junior forward Tom Port and junior guard Kyle Witucky each had 10 points.
Yellow Jacket Chatter
Senior Thad Davis is Among B-W Greats -- With his 1,906 career points, Thad Davis is second on College the all-time scoring list. Thad also has 984 career rebounds and is fourth on that all-time list. Thad also has become the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots this season. With his 59 blocks this season are second all-time and his 187 for his career is a school-record.
Senior Tom Harrington Also Among All-Time Leaders -- Tom Harrington is fourth all-time in assists with 415 in his career. Harrington has led the OAC in assists the past two years with 139 a year ago and his current total of 161 is a single-season record. Harrington is also a finalist for this year’s ESPN/ Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year award. He is just one of three Division III finalist.
Tori Davis Ties Single-Season Record for Blocked Shots -- Sophomore forward Tori Davis currently owns a single-season school-record with 61 blocked shots. Tori also had a career-high eight blocked shots in a game against Ohio Northern University two weeks ago.
Bankson is the Winningest B-W Basketball Coach -- With his 365 victories at Baldwin-Wallace, Yellow Jacket Head Coach Steve Bankson is the winningest coach in school history. He is 365-298 in 26 years at B-W. Bankson has a career mark of 646-412 in 40 years overall, including a 232-90 mark in 12 seasons at Lorain (County) Community College and a 49-25 marks in three years at the high school level.
B-W Has a Tradition of Excellence Under Steve Bankson -- Baldwin-Wallace has had 16 seasons with a winning or .500 record in the last 17 years, including a school-record streak of 13 consecutive years.
Two Tourney Titles This Season and an Unbeaten Mark Against Non-OAC Opponents -- This season, B-W won tourney titles at Gettysburg (Pa.) and Hampden-Sydney (Va.) and is 7-0 against non-OAC opposition. The Yellow Jackets are 14-3 in “road games” this year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, Please visit the Baldwin-Wallace Athletics website at www.bw.edu/athletics for up to date results and statistics. For further inquiries, please contact B-W SID Kevin Ruple by phone at (440) 826-2327, by FAX at (440) 826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu. For more Yellow Jacket men's basketball information, please contact Head Coach Steve Bankson by phone at (440) 826-2039, by FAX at (440) 826-2192 or via e-mail at sbankson@bw.edu.
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