BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio - In a physical contest between two Ohio Athletic Conference rivals, the #14 Capital men’s basketball team’s defense never rested in a 72-61 win over Muskingum. The Crusaders (9-1, 3-1 in the OAC) forced 10 turnovers and limited the Muskies to 36.4 percent from the field.
“It was a very physical game. We’ve put a lot of work in the weight room and we have to use our strength as an advantage,” Capital Head Coach Damon Goodwin said. “There was a lot of banging around, but our kids kept their cool, which is a sign of a mature team.”
The first half was a defensive stalwart, with the Crusaders limiting Muskingum to 29.2 percent shooting and causing seven turnovers. Capital found their groove midway through the half, going off on a 28-12 clip en route to a 36-24 lead at intermission. The Crusaders received key minutes from their reserves, led by senior Jake Fanning (Danbury, Ohio/Danbury HS), who paced all scorers with 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting (2-for-2 from three-point range) in the first half.
“Coach put us in to add some intensity and defensive pressure,” said Fanning, who finished with 14 points overall. “I was getting open looks because the defense had to concentrate on our big guys inside and our two wings, so I was left open and was able to knock down some shots.”
Muskingum found their momentum in the second half. The Muskies mounted a 20-5 run to take a 44-41 lead 7:46 into the second half.
Capital responded, as senior Nate Stahl (St. Henry, Ohio/St. Henry HS) hit a three-pointer to help put Capital back in front 53-49 with 8:23 left. Capital would never trail again.
“We have a lot of players who have been around the block who kept their composure when (Muskingum) went on a run and took the lead. Not putting ourselves in that position is something we need to address moving ahead,” Goodwin said.
The duration of Capital’s second half offensive success came in the paint, led by senior Casey Brown (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Ready HS), who hauled down 10 rebounds and scored a career-high 17 points.
“We spaced our offense out and allowed our post players to get one-one-one with our defenders,” said Brown, who led Capital to a 40-29 rebounding advantage. “(Fanning’s) big first half allowed us to get some more room inside where we made some plays.”
Sophomore DJ Frazier (Cincinnati, OH/Withrow) was also a major cog in Capital’s comeback, scoring 7 of his 9 points in the second half on four-of-six shooting.
The two-time defending OAC champion Crusaders host Kenyon College Tuesday at 7pm.