Andrew Bell
Staff Writer
They say that basketball is a game of runs, with ebbs and flows of momentum. Yet Wooster basketball is different — they are on a mission. Over the past 3 weeks, the men have won 3 straight games, including a tournament championship and a conference win.
Head coach Doug Cline feels like his team is on schedule for their goals. “This [tournament] is a big win and … it’s one step in a long journey,” Cline said.
Although the Fighting Scots found success on the hardwood, their November campaign was not easily won. Wooster’s first contest of the 3-game stretch was in the Al Van Wie/Wooster Rotary Classic. The tournament is named in honor of Wooster’s legendary coach, Coach Al Van Wie. Van Wie placed Wooster’s basketball program on the map and expanded women’s sports at the College and other exhibition games during his time as Athletic Director.
Coach Cline asserted that winning the tournament was imperative for the Scots because of the coach’s lasting legacy. “Coach Van Wie and I had a really good relationship, and that tournament means a lot to this program and our community,” Cline said.
Although Cline’s men were confident, the tournament contained tough competition. Wooster’s first opponent was against the La Roche University Redhawks. Although the Redhawks entered the tournament with a losing record (1-4), they were still a formidable opponent for the Fighting Scots.
As the horn sounded, Wooster’s Nick Everett ’25 and La Roche’s Dominic Elliot ’25 lined up for the opening tip. Everett won the toss, but La Roche scored the first points with a 3 at the peak of the arch. Everett scored the Scots’ first points of the game with a power dribble. JJ Cline ’25 scored Wooster’s first 3 with a corner-archer. Both sides continued to trade buckets through the first 2 media breaks, 16-16.
Despite the tied score, Wooster’s offense and defense were clicking. Wooster’s Breckman Oakley ’28 introduced himself with a massive block on the outside, but both teams continued to struggle to put the ball in the hoop. A pass to Ashton Price ’25 continued the Scots’ offensive efforts with an easy reverse layup. EJ Kapihe ’26 scored Wooster’s next points with 2 swishes from the charity stripe. Jaiden Cox-Holloway ’26 led Wooster’s defensive efforts with 7 defensive rebounds. He highlighted his play with a massive swat on a La Roche 3-point attempt. Momentum was on the Scots’ side as the arena shook from noise, which carried them into halftime with a 38-32 lead.
Wooster’s success grew exponentially in the second half. Cox-Holloway opened up the second half with a 1-hand stuffer. The Scots continued to lock-in on the defensive side, stopping 4 consecutive times. In that span, both Everett and Cline converted the rock for 4 points. Then, Jamir Billings ’25 distributed a bounce pass to a cutting Kapihe for another score from the forward. The Fighting Scots continued to pour it on, after the under-16. Wooster pulled away and won in blowout fashion; 84-58.
Wooster’s semifinal victory set the Scots up with a matchup against Mount Union. Prior to the contest, the Raiders were ranked 19th in the nation.
The game began with Everett lined up for the opening jump. Scores from Everett, Price, Kapihe and Isaiah Johnson ’26 led the Scots halfway through the contest. Nevertheless, Mount continued to fight, keeping the game close through the under-8 timeout. However, a defensive breakdown from Mount allowed the Scots to press the advantage in the final 4 minutes of the first half.
Price added a triple to the total, right in his defender’s face. Oakley scored another pair for the Scots as he pulled up after an inbound pass from JJ Cline ’25. After foul shot attempts by Kapihe, Wooster scrambled to the ball and turned the play over to Billings. Wooster brought the score to 37-27.
Wooster’s 10-point lead continued through the first media break of the final half. However, Mount began an aggressive offensive campaign. Their intense attack dwindled the Scots lead to just 1 point. Isaac Roeder ’26 scored off of a jump shot to maintain Wooster’s slim lead.
Everett continued to fight back with a power lay in. Then, JJ Cline ’25 generated a stop, fueling Billings to another lay-up. He went down the floor and generated yet another stop for Wooster, forcing Mount to foul Cox-Holloway. Both of his foul shots rattled in. Price’s last free throw was the final bucket of the game as the Scots beat the Raiders, 79-73.
The exciting victory fueled a final win in November for Wooster, with a 92-80 victory against conference rival, Oberlin. Through the 3 games, Wooster rose to 13th. The tournament also showcased the excellent basketball pedigree of the institution.
The Scots head to Cleveland, Ohio in an interconference competition against the Case Western Reserve University Spartans.