By Nicholas Huenefeld/Owens Sports Information
Columbus, Ohio---An 15-1 run early in the second half proved to be crucial as the Owens Community College men's basketball team took down Columbus State Community College 105-94 on the road this afternoon.
With the win, Owens improved to 12-5 overall and 3-1 in Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) play. They will be back in action on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. against Edison Community College in a game televised by BCSN. Columbus State fell to 3-9 overall and 1-3 in OCCAC play.
Up six at halftime and clinging to a six-point lead with 15:44 left, Ty'Rese Searles (Cornerstone/Pontiac, Mich.) scored seven points during a 9-0 run that gave Owens a 66-51 lead with 14:17 left. Rico Stafford (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) also made a layup during the run.
Following a free throw from Columbus State's Mario Young that ended the run, Owens scored the next seven points to make it 73-52 with 13:07 left. Stafford started the run with a pair of free throws, and then he stole the ball and dished to Marquevious Wilson (Lima Senior/Lima, Ohio) for a layup. Searles then found Jamiri Bennett (Maumee/Toledo, Ohio) for a 3-pointer to finish the run.
Moments later, a Searles 3-pointer would give Owens its largest lead at 22, but Columbus State rallied from there by scoring the game's next eight points. They gradually chipped away after that and with just under two minutes left, Rodney Willis scored five straight points to pull his team within five.
Out of a timeout, Roy Hatchett Jr. (Glenville/Cleveland, Ohio) drove to the basket, got fouled and made a pair of free throws. Stafford then got a steal, made a nice move and drove to the basket for a layup on the right side that gave Owens a 101-92 lead.
Wilson and Searles each made a pair of free throws in the final 30 seconds to ice the game.
In the second half alone, Columbus State outscored Owens 13-4 in second chance points, but Owens got 28 points from its bench.
Searles finished with a team-high 22 points for Owens, while adding seven rebounds, two steals, two blocks and two assists. He made 8-for-10 from the foul line. Wilson, who played a season-high 35 minutes, scored a season-high 19 points, pulled down nine rebounds and added six assists.
Derrik Jamerson Jr. (Cornerstone/Pontiac, Mich.), who sat out most of the second half after picking up his fourth foul early, sparked Owens late in the first half and finished with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Derek Reece Jr. (Springfield/Toledo, Ohio) also added 12 points, along with seven rebounds, in 13 minutes off the bench.
James Grays (Start/Toledo, Ohio), who scored the game's first five points, and Hatchett each finished with 11 points, while Hatchett added five assists.
Matthew Gierhart poured in a game-high 30 points for Columbus State, while Willis finished with 25. Both of them also combined for 17 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Young added 12 points, while Johnnie Robinson had 11 points and a team-high six assists.
The first half saw Owens scored the game's first five points behind the post play of Grays, and then Searles hit a jumper with 15:07 left to stretch the score to 18-7. Columbus State answered with a 12-1 run and eventually took a six-point lead on three occasions, with the third one coming with 6:28 left.
Shondell Jackson (Warren Harding/Warren, Ohio), who finished with nine points, answered with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws to pull Owens within one. Jamerson then scored 10 of his team's next 12 points as Owens took a 45-36 lead with 1:41 left before taking a five-point lead into the half.
Overall, the Owens bench outscored Columbus State's 43-13 and held a 52-40 scoring advantage in the paint. Columbus State, meanwhile, held a 24-20 advantage in points off turnovers and a 17-15 margin in second chance points. The game featured two ties and one lead change, while Owens led the game's final 24:54.
NOTES
Today's 105-point offensive output was the second best of the season for Owens behind the 118 points against Washtenaw Community College on Nov. 12. It was the team's third 100-point effort of the season.
With his 2-for-6 finish from 3-point range and 12 points today, Jamerson is now 11 points away from 700 in his career. He also needs 15 made 3-point field goals and 24 attempted 3-point field goals to break each of those respective career records.
Owens has now won five of its past six games since Dennis Springs took over as head coach.
Wilson topped his previous season-high in points of 15, which he achieved twice. He has increased his season-high in minutes in three of the past four games. Today was his sixth double digit scoring effort over the past nine games and his seventh of the season.