Junior guard Henry Hinkle converted a 3-point play and senior post Tony Carter sank a 3-pointer to open a 10-3 run that put the Ohio Wesleyan men’s basketball team ahead, but Denison came back to take a 78-66 North Coast Athletic Conference win on Saturday in Granville.
The score was tied at 6 when Hinkle’s 3-point play and Carter’s 3-pointer put the Bishops up 6 just under 6 minutes into the contest. Carter and sophomore wing Jessee Battle added lay-ins for a 16-9 Ohio Wesleyan lead.
The Bishops (2-8, 1-3) were still up 7 after a Battle 3-pointer made it 21-14 midway through the half, but Denison got a 3-point play from Ricky Radtke and a 3-pointer by Cameron Smith to pull within one, then knotted the score at 24 when Nick Heath sank a pair of free throws.
Denison would go on to score the final 7 points of the half, getting a 3-pointer by Heath to tie the game at 37 before Smith scored on a pair of fast-break lay-ins during the final 30 seconds to give the hosts a 41-37 lead at the break.
The Big Red (6-4, 4-0) added to the lead with a Kellon Smith lay-in and a Scotty Dean 3-pointer, and extended the margin to 12 when a Radtke 3-point play made it 64-52 with 5:51 left in regulation time.
Ohio Wesleyan rallied with a 3-pointer and a lay-in by Hinkle and a pair of free throws from senior guard Joey Duke, and the Bishops were still within 67-61 after a Carter 3-pointer with 3:26 to go, but Dean went 4-for-4 from the line during the final minute to help Denison ice the game.
Hinkle led the Bishops with 21 points and 6 assists. Battle scored 11 points, and Carter finished with 10 points and a team-best 8 rebounds.
Next up, OWU will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to take on La Roche next Wednesday. Tip is slated for 7 p.m.
OWU Sports Information contributed to this report.
