BOX SCORE
COLUMBUS, Ohio- A 15-5 run to close out the final seven minutes of the game propelled the Capital men's basketball team to a 55-45 victory over OAC opponent Muskingum on Saturday.
Junior Scott Robertson (Berea, Ohio / Berea HS) led both teams with 15 points, four steals, and had a career-high11 rebounds while recording his second double-double of the season. Freshman Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio / St. Henry HS) ignited Capital's late scoring spree by scoring the first five points of the run. The forward finished matched his career high with 11 points.
"Winning two games before Christmas is a big deal for us in terms of getting confidence heading into break," said Head Coach Damon Goodwin, whose team limited the Muskies (3-7, 0-5 OAC) to only 20 points after CU trailed 25-23 at halftime.
The Crusader (3-5, 2-3 OAC) defense was the difference in the second half, as Muskies to 23.4 percent shooting (five-for 21) after halftime and 32.4 percent for the game (12-for-37).
"The one thing that I think is a constant for us is that we've played hard every game. When you give up 45 points, you're always going to have a good chance to win the game," Goodwin said.
With the game nodded at 40 with 6:47 left, Niekamp connected on a jump shot and a three-pointer to give CU a 45-40 lead with 5:54 remaining.
"This team just focuses on being patient and finding the open person," Niekamp said. "The key is to be ready if you're number is called to take open shots. I was fortunate to make those shots when my teammates went to me today."
Goodwin added, "We talked to Scott about being more aggressive, and he answered by making some good shots from the perimeter."
After Muskingum closed the gap to 45-43 with 5:46 remaining, freshman Anthony Bell (Cincinnati, Ohio/Withrow HS) provided a spark by hitting a free throw, then turning a steal into a momentum-changing dunk to put Capital up 48-43 with 4:10 left in the game.
"The team told me coming into this game that they needed a dunk. I've been practicing my dunk, so it was nice to come though with it in this game," Bell said. "We played with more swagger and energy in the second half, especially on defense."
The inspired defense took control of the game on the ensuing Muskingum possession, as junior DJ Frazier (Cincinnati, Ohio/ Withrow HS) blocked a Muskie shot that Bell rebounded and immediately found Robertson with a running pass near the basket that resulted in a shooting foul. Robertson's successful free throw conversions stretched the lead to 50:43 with 3:10 remaining.
After his steal led to a Bell layup to put Capital ahead 52-43 with 1:10 remaining, Robertson put the finishing touches on Capital's victory by taking converting a Frazier pass in the paint into a layup to put the Purple and White ahead 54-43 with 51 second left in the game.
"We knew that if we got more ball reversals that they were going to collapse eventually. We wanted to move the ball around and look for second and third options every time down," said Robertson, who played at Muskingum prior to transferring to Capital before the 2008-09 season. "It was fun to play against (Muskingum). I'm still good friends with a lot of them, so it was nice to see and compete against them today."
The Crusaders will travel to Denison on December 28 for at 3:00p.m. Fans can follow the action live on www.CapitalCrusaders.net.