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Box Score

The Capital University men's basketball team used a combination of stifling defense and strong free throw shooting Wednesday night to come away with a 69-60 triumph at Heidelberg in an Ohio Athletic Conference showdown in Tiffin, Ohio.

The Crusaders (4-4 overall, 2-0 OAC) held the Student Princes to just 31.9 percent shooting, including 25 percent in the second half, to offset a 40.7 percent showing on the offensive end.

Capital also knocked down 19-of-23 (82.6 percent) at the free throw line, while Heidelberg (4-3, 0-2) shot just 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from the stripe.

Senior forward Spencer Niekamp inched closer to the 1,000-career point milestone with team highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds. The St. Henry, Ohio, native now has 989 points for his career heading into the weekend.

Senior guard Tim Congrove (Circleville, Ohio) tallied 15 points off the bench, while fellow reserve Ben Jackson (Columbus, Ohio), a junior forward, netted 10.

The Crusaders held the lead for a majority of the first half before the Student Princes clawed their way back into it. Freshman guard AJ Dixon's jumper with one second left in the period gave Capital a 30-29 advantage at the break.

Heidelberg controlled the opening minutes of the second, taking a 44-37 lead with 14:16 on the clock. The Crusaders then scored six straight points and eventually tied the game on a Congrove 3-pointer with 9:47 to play.

The two teams fought back and forth before Capital broke a 52-52 tie with a 10-1 run, including five points by Niekamp and a 3-pointer by Congrove to cap the stretch at 62-53 with 1:30 left. From there, the Crusaders knocked down all seven of their free throw attempts to ice the game away.

The 'Berg finished with 15 offensive rebounds compared to four for Capital, but converted just eight second-chance points. The Crusaders finished 6-of-14 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

Capital returns to play this Saturday against Baldwin Wallace. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. at the Capital Center, where the Yellow Jackets-Crusaders women's game will immediately follow.