Box Score MARION, Ind. -- The Indiana Wesleyan University men?s basketball team fended off a late rally by visiting Ohio Dominican University to earn an 80-73 victory on Tuesday night in Luckey Arena.
Indiana Wesleyan led by 12 points (54-42) midway through the second half and seemed to have the game under control. But Ohio Dominican sprinted to an 11-1 run over the next five minutes to cut the Wildcat lead to two points at 55-53.
T.J. Johnson connected on a field goal for the Panthers to knot the score at 57-57 with 6 minutes and three seconds left in the game. Indiana Wesleyan did not fold and immediately answered Ohio Dominican, starting with a three-point basket by freshman Will Hubertz at 5:58. That basket initiated a 7-0 run by Indiana Wesleyan and ultimately squelched the Ohio Dominican comeback effort.
Indiana Wesleyan?s lead was never less than four points the rest of the game as the Wildcats captured the hard-fought victory.
Four Wildcats finished in double figures, led by junior Antonio Murrell?s 25 points. Murrell poured in 18 of his points in the first half and ended the evening with five rebounds and two steals.
Hubertz added 17 points and sophomore Ryan Hetrick tallied 15 points. Sophomore Spencer Harris registered 14 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Indiana Wesleyan shot a scorching 52.9-percent (27 of 51) from the field. The hot shooting and 22 Ohio Dominican turnovers helped alleviate the inside game as the Panthers out-rebounded the Wildcats 43-to-24.
The Wildcats improve to 4-1 this season and hand the Panthers their first loss, as Ohio Dominican falls to 1-1.
Indiana Wesleyan returns to action this weekend at the Little Giant Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Wabash (Ind.) College. The Wildcats play Humber College out of Canada at 6 p.m. on Friday, November 16 and Wabash at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 17.
