Higgins Goes Over A Thousand, But The Berg Falls

The Heidelberg College men’s basketball team fell to Ohio Athletic Conference rival Otterbein College 77-74. Otterbein improves to 13-10, 9-7 OAC, while the Berg falls to 13-10, 9-7 OAC. 

Though the Berg fell, senior Ron Higgins (Vermilion, Ohio/ Firelands) became the 24th player in Heidelberg history to record 1,000 points. Entering the contest he needed only 11 points to reach the marker. The score came off a right handed hook in the lane with 10 minutes left in regulation.  Higgins finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds.

Heidelberg scored the opening basket, but Otterbein would come back to take a six point lead on two occasions, its latest being a 25-19 lead with 7:59 left in the first half. Otterbein and the Berg battled back and forth until a Greg Tyson, Jr. (Lima, Ohio/ Lima Senior) jumper tied the score for the seventh time in the game at 30-30. Heidelberg went on to outscore the Cardinals 10-4 in the final three minutes of the half, and went into the locker room with a 40-34 lead.

Heidelberg built an 11 point lead at 49-38 with 14:33 left in the game, but the Berg suffered a four minute scoring drought to allow Otterbein to pull within five. Higgins ended the drought with his 1,000 point. The Berg extended its lead to eight points, but Otterbein would not go away and tied the game on two different occasions. With the scored tied at 68-68, the lead changed hands three more times with a latter change in favor of Otterbein, 73-72, with 39 seconds on the clock. Otterbein finished the game 4-fo-4 from the charity stripe, to outscore the Berg 4-2, and hold on for the 77-74 win.

Aside from Higgins 15 points, four other players hit double figures. Shawn Shriver (Bellevue, Ohio/ Western Reserve) led all ’Berg scorers with 18 points followed by Tyson (12), Andrew Lemmon (Port Clinton, Ohio / Port Clinton) (11) and Chad Szalay (Lorain, Ohio / Clearview) (11). Lemmon led the way on the glass with eight rebounds.

The Cardinals also had five players in double figures in scoring. Leading the way was Tyler Ousley with 20, who also led the way in rebounds with 10.

Heidelberg returns to action Wednesday at Capital. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.