WOOSTER, OHIO – The Edgewood College Eagles men's basketball squad sent off 2023 in successful style Saturday afternoon. They concluded their stay at the Wooster Kiwanis Classic against the Wheaton Thunder. The Eagles (5-7) fended off the Thunder (2-10) in an affair that was close throughout, heading into 2024 with a 61-57 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Wheaton possessed a 10-4 lead after the first five minutes of play. Edgewood College would struggle to overcome the deficit until a 10-2 rally that wrapped up at 5:30 to give them a 21-20 edge. The two teams would jostle over single possession leads, with a
Dawson Hughes layup with four ticks left on the clock sending the Eagles to the locker room with a 29-28 lead.
- Edgewood College made the most of their shots in the frame, shooting 54.17 (13-of-24) from the field.
- A barrage of three-pointers in the opening salvos of the second half gave Edgewood College their largest lead of the afternoon 41-32 at 15:58. Wheaton would struggle to overcome the deficit for the next ten minutes, a
Danny Mulcare three-pointer at 5:39 keeping their lead at 50-42.
- The Thunder would have one last burst, chipping down the lead to 58-57 with 14 seconds left. After the Eagles hit one of two free throws, Wheaton had the chance to tie with six seconds left, but
Cade Ellingson swiped a pass in traffic and
Drew Houtakker hit both free throws to settle the final score. Another swipe from Ellingson in front of the Thunder bench as the buzzer sounded sealed the deal for Edgewood College.
- Traeder finished the afternoon with 18 points and a pair of blocked shots.
- Mulcare and Ellingson both contributed in a big way in the victory. Both players tallied 10 points and a pair of steals, while Mulcare grabbed seven rebounds and Ellingson eight respectively.
- Nate Sock led both teams with 19 points. Teammate Soren Richardson added on 17 points.
- Edgewood College took advantage of their depth with a 16-to-4 lead in bench points.
- Wheaton hung around thanks to outscoring the Eagles 16-to-5 on points off turnovers.
- The Eagles were the more efficient team from the floor, shooting 42.3 (22-of-52) percent while the Thunder only made 31.7 (20-of-63) of their shots.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Traeder was named to the All-Tournament Team for his strong performance against the Thunder and yesterday against the Fighting Scots.
- The victory was the first-ever for the Eagles over Wheaton in men's basketball. The Thunder hold a 2-1 series lead.
- The win is the program's first non-conference victory since the 2021-22 season.
UP NEXT
Edgewood College opens 2024 on the road as they head back into Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. They will travel south to face Illinois Tech in Chicago, Ill. next Wednesday. First tip is schedule for 7:00 p.m. in a series the Eagles lead 6-4.
