MOUNT VERNON – The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men’s basketball team (1-0, 0-0) defeated Denison University (0-0, 0-0) by a final score of 69-66.
The Cougars started the season off on the winning side of things. MVNU took a 10-point lead into halftime but saw that lead quickly dwindle away in the second half after the Big Red started hitting very timely shots. The Cougars started out shooting 50% from the field and 33.3% in the first half, but in the second half they had to fight for every bucket. MVNU shot 39.3% in the second half altogether. However, when the Cougars needed shots to fall down the stretch, they got them.
Clay Hilliard hit a huge bucket to put MVNU up by two points with 59 seconds left in the game. Denison struggled from the free-throw line and it was very crucial in the last minute. The Big Red missed one out of two on a chance to tie the game after the Hilliard two, cutting the MVNU lead to one. Kade Ruegsegger knocked down two big free-throws to push the Cougar lead to three. The Big Red yet again had trouble on free-throws as they missed the front end of a 1-and-1 and the Cougars held on for the three point win.
Inside the Box Score
Kyle Kegley had a double-double for the Cougars. He finished the night with 13 points and 12 rebounds and also had two blocks in the paint.
Trace Ramsey shot well from the floor, finishing 4-4 from the field and tying for a team-high 14 points. Ramsey was also a menace on defense, getting five steals on the night.
Ruegsegger tied Ramsey for the team-high 14 points, shooting 5-14 with three assists and two boards.
Hilliard was the fourth Cougar in double-digits with 13 points and finished with a game-high six assists.
Eric McLaughlin was solid for MVNU as he finished with seven points and eight rebounds.
Coach Ronai’s Thoughts
“Give Denison a lot of credit. They were terrific in a lot of areas. The Brou kid is an All-American level player and I thought he really hurt us. We didn’t value the ball like we emphasize and we have much to improve upon and grow from. It was great to play in front of a crowd again and hopefully we got our first game jitters out. Looking forward to get back to work tomorrow.”
What’s Next
The Cougars will be right back home for a matchup against Oberlin College on Saturday, October 30. Tip-off on Saturday is set for noon.
