Men's Basketball wraps up non-conference slate with 78-70 loss at Trine (Ind.) on New Year's Eve

By Tim Glon

ALGOLA, Ind. — The Ohio Northern men's basketball team wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 78-70 loss at Trine (Ind.) Saturday afternoon at Hershey Hall.

The Polar Bears fall to 5-6 overall, while the Thunder improve to 5-6.

Senior Devon Allen (Lima/Senior) scored 23 points, junior Joey DiOrio (Columbus/Watterson) added a season-high 11 points and sophomore Ryan Bruns (Chickasaw/Marion Local) had his third double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds for ONU.

Will Dixon scored 23 points and Myles Copeland had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds for TU.

Northern jumped to a 16-9 lead 7:14 into the game after back-to-back 3-pointers from Allen.

The Thunder answered with a 13-0 run to grab a 22-16 lead and eventually stretched the lead to as many as 38-26 with 2:00 left at the half. 

A 9-0 ONU run erased a 47-39 deficit and gave the Polar Bears a 48-47 lead with 13:51 to go in the game.

Leading 61-59, the hosts went on an 11-2 run to extend the advantage to 72-61 with 2:36 left.

A 3-point play by senior Joey Hurless (Van Wert) pulled Northern within 72-64 with 2:23 to go, but ONU would get no closer than 76-70 the rest of the way.

"We were too careless with the basketball in the first half and got ourselves in a hole," ONU head coach Rich Bensman said. "When we played to our identity we were pretty good, but we were too inconsistent. I thought Trine played harder than us, with more energy."

Ohio Northern made 26-of-65 field goals for 40.0 percent and were 9-of-28 from 3-point range for 32.1 percent.

Trine was 27-of-60 from the floor for 45.0 percent and made 6-of-15 3-pointers for 40.0 percent.

ONU out-rebounded TU 46-34 but committed 15 turnovers (10 in the first half) to just five for the hosts.

The Polar Bears will return to action Wednesday evening with a 7 pm contest at Ohio Athletic Conference foe Otterbein.