BARTLESVILLE, Okla. – The Ottawa University men's basketball battled for 40 minutes on the road but could not overcome a hot-shooting (4) Oklahoma Wesleyan squad, falling 90–81 Wednesday night at the Mueller Sports Center.
First Half
Oklahoma Wesleyan jumped out quickly, using efficient shooting in the opening minutes to build an early double-digit lead. The Eagles pushed the margin to as many as 15 points midway through the half as Ottawa struggled to find consistent offensive rhythm.
The Braves began to settle in behind the play of
Rich Martelly and
Jackson Harding, who provided scoring in the paint and on the perimeter. Ottawa chipped away late in the half with a 10–3 run over the final four minutes, capped by a
Landyn Tyler layup in the closing seconds.
Despite the late surge, Ottawa went into the locker room trailing 41–36 after shooting 45.5 percent from the field in the opening half.
Second Half
Ottawa opened the second half aggressively, scoring four quick points at the free-throw line and in the paint to cut the deficit to three. However, Oklahoma Wesleyan responded with a decisive run, stretching the lead back to double figures behind strong interior play and timely three-point shooting.
The Eagles built their largest lead of the night at 20 points with just under 12 minutes remaining. Ottawa continued to compete, using defensive pressure and second-chance opportunities to mount a late push. The Braves trimmed the deficit to single digits multiple times down the stretch, highlighted by baskets from
Elijah Mason and
Micah Willis.
Despite outscoring Oklahoma Wesleyan 45–49 in the second half and shooting 82.8 percent from the free-throw line, Ottawa was unable to complete the comeback as the Eagles closed out the game from the stripe.
Final Stats (Ottawa Highlights)
•
Score: Oklahoma Wesleyan 90, Ottawa 81
•
Leading Scorer: Rich Martelly – 20 points
•
Other Double-Figure Scorers:
o
Landyn Tyler – 13 points
o
Micah Willis – 13 points
o
Jackson Harding – 12 points
•
Rebounding Leader: Elijah Mason – 6 rebounds
•
Assists Leader: Landyn Tyler – 4 assists
•
Field Goal Percentage: 45.5% (25-of-55)
•
Three-Point Shooting: 7-of-17 (41.2%)
•
Free Throws: 24-of-29 (82.8%)
•
Rebounds: Oklahoma Wesleyan 28, Ottawa 23
Who is Next
Ottawa (9-8, 5-6) returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 17 in Wilson Field House against (25) Bethel College. Game time is set for 4:00 p.m.
