CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Capital men’s basketball team had four scorers in double figures but had to fight off a late charge to beat Bluffton, 70-63 in its season opener at the Case Western Reserve Tipoff Tournament on Friday evening.
Seniors Ryan Wood (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington Central HS) and Ross Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry HS) led the scoring efforts for Capital with 18 and 14 points respectively. Wood made 5-of-8 shots from the field and 6-of-7 from the line while Niekamp matched Wood with two three-pointers apiece to help the Crusaders finish with a 50.0 percent (23-for-46) shooting effort from the field on the night.
Classmate Nate Stahl (St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry HS) and sophomore point guard DJ Frazier (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow HS) added 10 points each while Jake Fanning (Danbury, Ohio/Danbury HS) pitched in seven points and three rebounds off the bench in a winning effort.
The Crusaders were able to pull out a victory by holding a 30-21 lead in rebounding and making up for a 38-24 deficit at points in the paint with a 20-for-29 effort at the free throw line.
Capital turned a six-point halftime advantage into a 17-point lead with 11:39 remaining until a 20-4 run over the next 7:52 made it a one-point contest at 61-60 with 4:04 left to put the game in jeopardy for CU. The Crusaders would rebound behind a spurt led by Niekamp who hit a jumper with 2:20 left followed by a pair of free throws at the 1:33 mark to put Capital ahead by five, 65-60. From there, CU made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to ice a 70-63 season-opening victory.
The Crusaders will take part in the Championship game of the Case Western Reserve Tipoff Tournament on Saturday night. CU will face Monmouth at 7 p.m. ET after the Fighting Scots beat host Case Western Reserve, 74-73 in a double overtime game also played on Friday night.