Andrew Bell
Staff Writer
On Saturday, Jan. 11, the Timken Arena echoed with the hustle and bustle of fans as they poured into the stands. The game marked the first season matchup between arch rivals Wooster and Wittenberg. These teams compete in a fierce rivalry as the two winningest programs in the history of Division III men’s basketball. Head Coach Doug Cline reflected, “[This game] means a ton to our program. It’s such a big emphasis.” Heading into this contest, Wooster held an all-time record of 66-60 against Wittenberg and had won the last five matchups.
To open the game, Wittenberg gained the first possession and faced a quick set of stops. The Scots first struck the inside of the net with a deep three by JJ Cline ’24. A quick set of Tigers buckets, including a 3-point attempt, tied up the contest. The Tigers committed the first foul, resulting in a well-designed out-of-bounds play for a quick two-pointer. Tied at seven apiece, the Scots swiftly broke the tie with a short jumper by Jamir Billings ’25. To the delight of the home crowd, Wooster pressured the ball and forced a Red and White turnover. Following a short 4-0 run by Wittenberg, the Scots turned it around, with Isaiah Johnson ’26 making a set of free throws to bring the score even. Johnson scored another two points after racing down the court for a fast break. At the under twelve media timeout, the score showed 16-13 in favor of the Tigers.
A three pointer by Vinni Veikalas ’26 tied the game. The Scots continued their momentum with a physical bucket down low by Nick Everett ’24, a strong score by Veikalas and a fast-break layup by Everett. The Wooster run was momentarily halted by the next media timeout, which saw the Black and Gold ahead of their rivals with a score of 22-16.
The 9-0 Wooster run was finally stopped by a deep two-pointer from Wittenberg. The success was short-lived as Veikalas streaked down the court and received a lob for an easy layup. The score fueled Wooster’s play on both sides of the ball. The Scots’ defense forced a turnover and dove on the ball, followed by a high-arching corner three by Veikalas. This sequence forced Wittenberg Head Coach, Matt Croci, to call a timeout.
After multiple tries, Wittenberg finally scored on a two-point attempt. However, their success was temporary as Billings quickly scored a physical bucket. The very next play saw Isaac Roeder ’26 making a huge corner three, powering the Scots to take a 38-30 halftime lead.
The second half started with a 7-0 run by the Tigers, who closed the gap to one point. Following a timeout called by Coach Cline, Veikalas showcased his strength as he backed down the smaller defender and scored in the paint. The play was followed by a rebound and score by JJ Cline to grow the Scots’ lead to 44-42.
Wittenberg responded with a three-pointer that swished through the net. Nevertheless, the Scots struck back after a fantastic assist by Everett to Veikalas for an easy bucket. The momentum continued to shift towards Wooster with an Everett dunk, followed by a two-pointer from Ashton Price ’25 and a three-pointer by Veikalas. Coming out of a Wittenberg timeout, the Tigers broke the Scots’ 5-0 run. Everett responded with a layup and Price notched another Wooster score. At the under four minute timeout, the Scots held onto a slight lead — 64-60.
Proving himself a clutch player, Price completed a crafty play as the teams resumed action, forcing Wittenberg to foul with time dwindling. Scores by Johnson and Everett helped Wooster maintain their lead. Tension was building within the arena as the Black and Gold led by two. Billings scored another set of free throws, but Wittenberg struck back with a long range three to bring the score within one with 1.1 seconds left. Following a Wittenberg intentional foul, Billings sealed the deal by intentionally missing a free throw. The final desperation heave by the Tigers fell short, securing a 78-77 Scots victory.
Following a shaky season start, the Scots’ hoopers completed a fantastic turnaround on the season by winning six out of their last eight appearances. This win brings Wooster to .500 on the season and 4-3 in conference play. Part of their recent success could be the mixture of fast break offense, physical play in the offensive zone and improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Wooster dominated for large stretches of the match, notching seven scoring runs. Coach Cline emphasized that “we want to be able to run in transition and score, and I think we did that this game.” Price, who led the team in scoring, stated that “[Our physical] play is very important. It’s part of setting the tone.”
After the game, Coach Cline exclaimed, “not only does this game mean a lot inside of our program, but it also means a lot for our alumni, the community and of course Coach Moore.” Johnson, the Scots’ leading scorer off the bench, turned his attention to the next game. “We are going to take this win, build off of it and keep going with it.”
The Wooster men’s basketball team plays at home on Saturday, Jan. 20 at 4:15 p.m. against Denison University in another NCAC rivalry game.
