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The Capital University men's basketball team worked down to the wire on the road Saturday, but was unable to grab a lead in the second half of an 88-85 setback at Ohio Northern in the Ohio Athletic Conference regular season finale for both teams in Ada, Ohio.

The Crusaders (12-13 overall, 9-9 OAC) will be the No. 7 seed in next week's OAC Tournament and will visit sixth-seeded Baldwin Wallace Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Berea, Ohio. The winner of that contest will move on to visit No. 3 Wilmington Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the tournament quarterfinals.

Capital trailed by seven with 3:16 to play in the game, but traded big shots down the stretch with the Polar Bears (16-9, 12-6) to make it a three-point game with 1:31 on the clock following a 3-pointer by junior forward Daniel Ocke (Sidney, Ohio).

After the Crusaders cut it to 82-80 with 1:06 left following a 3-point play by sophomore guard AJ Dixon (Hilliard, Ohio), Ohio Northern converted a lay-up with 30 seconds to go. Dixon responded with a lay-up to cut it back to one possession, but the Polar Bears regained their four-point lead with eight seconds to play.

Dixon hit a 3-pointer with three seconds left but, after a pair of ONU free throws, Capital was unable to get a shot off going from the other end of the floor in the final two seconds.

Junior forward Andrew Bolka (Xenia, Ohio) posted a game-high 22 points and eight rebounds on an efficient 8-of-9 performance from the floor. Dixon totaled 18 points and four assists, while Ocke and freshman guard Tyrel Jackson (Dublin, Ohio) contributed with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

The Crusaders shot 53.7 percent from the floor, including a blazing 65.5 percent clip in the second half. The Polar Bears converted 60.4 percent of their looks and knocked down 14-of-18 from the free throw line in the second half.

In the first half, Ohio Northern shot 56 percent from the floor, but Capital stayed within two possessions, trailing 35-29 heading into the locker room.

The Crusaders led early in the contest, taking a 10-4 lead with 16:32 on the clock following back-to-back jumpers by Tyrel Jackson. The Polar Bears responded, taking a 26-22 advantage with 6:35 to play in the period.

After Capital regained the lead by the 5:17 mark with a 5-0 run, Ohio Northern grabbed the lead on the ensuing possession and wouldn't let go of it the rest of the way.

Despite the loss, the Crusaders finished the regular season with their 14th consecutive year with a record at or above .500 in the conference.