The Berg Treats Its Alumni To A Sweet Homecoming

Four players reached double-figures in the scoring column to help lead the Heidelberg College men’s basketball team to an 87-70 victory over visiting Marietta College in Ohio Athletic Conference action. The victory helped to put an exclamation point on a return trip to Tiffin for Heidelberg’s former players on Alumni Day. The win improves the Berg to 13-8 overall and 9-5 in the OAC, while the Pioneers fall to 5-16 overall and 1-13 in league action.

Followings its victory the Berg remains one game out of first place in the league standings. Capital University and John Carroll University both boast 10-4 league records followed by the Berg and Ohio Northern University at 9-5.

The Berg utilized a 20-2 run to increase its 9-7 advantage in the opening 10 minutes of action to take control of the ballgame. The run was capped off by Chad Szalay’s (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview) second three of the game to give Heidelberg a 29-9 lead with 10:09 to play in the first half. Also adding to the Berg’s early lead was nine points from senior center Ron Higgins (Vermilion, Ohio / Firelands).

Marietta stopped the Berg’s run with five-straight points to pull within 15, 29-14, but the Berg responded with an 8-2 run including an Andrew Lemmon (Port Clinton, Ohio / Port Clinton) trey to push its lead back to 22 points and eventually headed into the intermission holding a 44-29 lead.

In the second half, Heidelberg never let its lead get smaller than its halftime margin. Lemmon and Shawn Shriver (Bellevue, Ohio / Western Reserve) hit back-to-back treys and Higgins followed with a jumper to give the Berg its biggest lead of the game, 80-48, with 7:43 left on the clock.

Higgins led the way for the Berg with 21 points followed by 20 points from Lemmon. Rounding out four in double figures for the Berg was Szalay with 16 and Shriver with 11. Lemmon led the way on the glass with nine boards.

Kyle Reed led Marietta with 13 points, while Matt Phillips added 10 points and a team-high five rebounds.

Heidelberg returns to action at John Carroll Feb. 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in University Heights, Ohio.