November 29, 1999
College basketball
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS -- Heidelberg's men made it a clean sweep of two games in the Cleveland Classic Opponent Exchange with a 65-43 win over Oberlin College at John Carroll University.
The 'Berg (3-2), which was a 76-63 winner over Case Western Reserve Saturday, shot just 11-of-38 in the second half, but was 50 percent (18-of-36) in the first half and held the Yeomen (0-5) to eight field goals in each half. Heidelberg got off 74 shots to 45 for Oberlin, in part due to Heidelberg's 16 steals. Oberlin had 28 total turnovers, and The 'Berg had 11 miscues.
A 16-5 run early in the game gave Heidelberg a 13-point lead (22-9). Oberlin came back to close the gap to eight, but Jon Otterbacher's layup made the lead double figures again (26-16), and Heidelberg would go on to lead 38-20 at halftime and by as many as 24 points.
Randy Evans led The 'Berg in the scoring column with 14 points and Ryan Szepiela was next with 12. Otterbacher scored all 10 of his points in the first half. Nate Walters (seven rebounds) and Ryan Klebowski (five rebounds) scored six points apiece. Evans hit two 3-pointers and C.J. Short drilled one.
Kory Winkler had seven assists and Otterbacher chalked up three. Otterbacher added two blocks and five steals. Ryan Neimic had four blocks, and Walters and Szepiela had three steals each.
Maurie Elrod (17 points, four assists, three steals, eight rebounds, 3-pointer) led the Yeomen, along with Zeljko Petrovic (12 points, five rebounds, 6-of-6 foul shooting). Jon MacDonald grabbed seven rebounds and Oberlin outboarded The 'Berg, 40-36.
Heidelberg is at Urbana Wednesday night before opening up the Ohio Athletic Conference slate with a Saturday trip to Muskingum.
Heidelberg's women's team also won last weekend, beating Mount Aloysius 63-56, although the head coach described it as avoiding a loss.
"This was not a good showing," said coach Karen McConnell, whose team nonetheless stayed unbeaten at 4-0. "You could say we escaped with a victory."
The 'Berg held a 26-23 lead at the half, but this game was decided more by rebounding than shooting. Heidelberg had one scorer in double digits -- Rachel Poland totaled 29 points by hitting 10 field goals and 9 of 11 at the line -- but The 'Berg outrebounded their Cresson, Pa. hosts 52-39. Poland had nine of those boards, while Amanda Ellison grabbed seven and Meghan Peregord six.
Ellison had eight points while twin sister Amy added six, Nicole Camper chipped in eight, Peregord scored six and Jenny Nichols and Jessica Risner added three apiece.
The 'Berg plays at Bluffton College on Tuesday.