Titans Tame Sabercats

Charlie Noone led all players with 15 points as the UW-Oshkosh men's basketball team defeated Maranatha Baptist University, 75-58, on Monday (Dec. 5) in Watertown.

The Titans, who took the lead for good at 11-9 with 13:09 remaining in the first half, went on a 19-5 scoring run early in the second period to extend their advantage to 60-41.

UW-Oshkosh (4-3) matched a season high with 14 3-pointers and recorded assists on 21 of its 26 field goals. All 18 Titans in uniform received playing time as the UW-Oshkosh bench accounted for 33 points.

Noone went 4-for-10 from 3-point range and converted all three of attempts from the free throw line on the way to his fifth double-digit scoring effort of the season.

UW-Oshkosh's Ben Boots had 13 points, four rebounds and three assists while Brett Wittchow added 11 points and five rebounds. Boots and Sean Dwyer, who finished the game with nine points, nailed three 3-pointers apiece.

Jack Flynn contributed nine points for the Titans, who also received two points and four assists in nine minutes from Kyle Beyak and five points, five rebounds and four assists from Taylor Jansen. Flynn made all four of his shots from the field and his lone attempt from the free throw line.

UW-Oshkosh owned advantages in field goal percentage (.473 to .423), 3-point field goal percentage (.378 to .294), assists (21-9), steals (7-6) and turnovers (17-13).

Maranatha Baptist University outrebounded the Titans, 29-25, and shot 51.9 percent (14-27) from the floor during the first half, but the Sabercats made just one of their first seven shots during the first seven minutes after intermission.

The Sabercats reclaimed a 9-8 lead on a layup from Clayton Morrison nearly seven minutes into the game. UW-Oshkosh's Kyle Bolger answered with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession, and the Titans maintained a lead for the remainder of the contest.

Maranatha Baptist University (1-6) scored seven unanswered points to pull within 23-20 before Flynn pulled down an offensive rebound and converted a three-point play to extend the Titan lead to 26-20.

The Sabercats scored the first basket of the second period to trim their deficit to 41-36, but Noone knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to spark a 19-5 scoring run for the Titans over the next eight minutes. Wittchow added four points during the Titans' decisive spurt that was capped by consecutive 3-pointers by Boots for a 60-41 lead with nine minutes remaining.

UW-Oshkosh built its largest lead of 21 points at 75-54 on a free throw by David Vlotho with 73 seconds to play.

Wes Wagner and Bearden paced the Sabercats with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Richard Medina had a team-leading five rebounds.

UW-Oshkosh has won all three meetings with the Sabercats. The Titans also defeated Maranatha Baptist University by scores of 89-44 last season and 70-57 in 2014.

The Titans return home to face George Fox University (Ore.) on Saturday (Dec. 10).