Related Links:OAC Tournament pageThe Capital University men’s basketball team begins play in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament this Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. game at the Capital Center against an opponent to be determined.
The Crusaders (16-9 overall), who won a share of the OAC regular season championship after finishing tied for first in the standings with John Carroll at 13-5 in league play, are the No. 2 seed. Capital earned a double-bye to the OAC Tournament semifinals by virtue of its top-two finish.
The Crusaders will host either third-seeded Marietta or No. 6 Ohio Northern. Ohio Northern advanced to the quarterfinals with a 56-52 victory over seventh-seeded Mount Union in the first round on Monday night in Ada.
After falling last Wednesday at Marietta, Capital recovered Saturday with a 60-55 win on Senior Day at the Capital Center to clinch the program’s 11th league regular season title and the fourth under coach Damon Goodwin. Guard Kelly Winter (Dublin, Ohio), who, along with classmate Tyler Munro (Lexington, Ohio), was recognized prior to the game for his accomplishments over the past four years, tallied 16 points and knocked down 10-of-11 from the free throw line, including all six of his attempts in the final 28 seconds. Junior Spencer Niekamp (St. Henry, Ohio) tallied a team-high 17 points and eight rebounds for the Crusaders, who led 38-17 at halftime.
With a loss on Jan. 2 at Ohio Wesleyan, Capital stood at 5-6 overall heading into the bulk of OAC play. From there, the Crusaders posted winning streaks of six and four games, respectively, and won 11 of their last 14 games overall.
The team’s offensive efficiency was a big part of the turnaround. Heading into play this week, Capital leads the conference in field goal percentage (.458) and free throw percentage (.746), and ranks third in 3-point field goal percentage.
Niekamp (at left), Winter and junior Michael Sommer (Celina, Ohio) lead the Crusaders’ offensive attack. Niekamp, a forward, paces the team and ranks ninth in the conference in scoring (14.2 ppg) and seventh in field goal percentage (.500).
Winter averages 13.1 points per contest, and stands third in the league in free throw percentage (.815) and fifth in assists (74). Sommer, a guard, is second in the OAC in 3-pointers made (52) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.409).
Capital has also been solid on the defensive end. The team surrenders 68.2 points per game and ranks third in the league in field goal percentage defense (.433).
Junior forward Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio), who is the team’s fourth-leading scorer at 7.0 points per game, leads the interior defense with 14 blocks on the year. Winter has been one of the most effective defenders on the perimeter, as he enters postseason play with 31 steals, a team best.
Marietta (17-8), a preseason top 10 pick in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll, enters tournament play having won eight of its last 10 contests. After knocking off the Crusaders earlier in the week, the Pioneers fell just short of sharing the OAC title with Capital, losing 78-76 against John Carroll in their regular season finale on Saturday. J.J. Martin was one of four Marietta players in double figures, totaling 20 points.
The Pioneers, who reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2011, rank second in the OAC in scoring offense at 74.3 points per game and allow 69.8 points per contest, good for seventh in the league. Kevin Knab leads Marietta with 16.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
The Crusaders defeated the Pioneers 82-66 on Jan. 11 in Columbus for their fourth straight win over Marietta in the series. The Pioneers avenged the loss last Wednesday with a 73-48 victory in Marietta.
Ohio Northern (13-13), which started the season 6-2, began postseason play following a 73-65 setback at Baldwin-Wallace on Saturday. Scott Schnelle led the Polar Bears with 27 points and nine rebounds in the losing effort.
Entering the week, Ohio Northern averaged 67.9 points per contest while allowing a nearly identical 67.8 points on the other end. Branden Rushton and Schnelle average 13.7 and 12.5 points, respectively, to lead the team. Schnelle ranks fourth in the OAC in rebounding with 6.5 per affair.
The Crusaders swept the season series between the two teams. Capital overcame 20 turnovers and 13 offensive rebounds surrendered to win 73-69 on Jan. 18 in Ada. Ohio Northern rallied furiously in the closing minutes on Feb. 1 in Columbus, but came up short in an 80-77 Crusader victory.