TIFFIN, Ohio – Sophomore guard AJ Dixon (Hilliard, Ohio) continues to hold a hot hand as he shot Capital University to an 81-69 victory over Heidelberg University in Seiberling Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The final minute of the half was a sign of how back and forth the first half played out. Dixon made back-to-back layups to give the Crusaders (8-16, 6-11 OAC) a 35-31 lead with seven seconds left in the first half. Heidelberg (10-14, 6-11 OAC) quickly answered when forward Lee Shane hit a jumper as time expired to cut Capital's lead to two at the half.

Freshman forward James Hanley began the second half by shooting 3-for-3 in 3-point shots to help the Student Princes grab its first lead since the 11:32 mark in the first half.

The lead did not last long as senior forward Ben Danhoff (Clyde, Ohio) scored six of his 17 points to put the Crusaders back on top, 50-45.

With 9:24 left to play, two Dixon free throws started a 12-4 run that would give Capital the cushion it needed to take control of the game. Dixon was responsible for the first nine points of the run. The drive was capped off by a 3-pointer from Dixon, followed by another from Curt Geise (Delphos, Ohio).

Capital posted impressive shooting numbers, finishing 25-for-48 (.521) from the field and 28-for30 (.933) from the charity stripe. The Crusaders grabbed 35 rebounds compared to the 20 grabbed by the Student Princes. The physical play resulted in a 34-20 Capital advantage in points in the paint.

Dixon led all scorers with 24 points. He has recorded double-digit numbers in the score column in six straight games. Geise registered a new season high with 19 points. Danhoff chipped in with 17.

Hanley paced Heidelberg with 14 points, while Kiere Bennie added 13.

With a spot in the upcoming Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Tournament secure, Capital's seed can be affected by the outcomes of other games around the OAC. A win on Saturday and an Ohio Northern University loss would result in the Crusaders taking the sixth spot. On the flip side, if Ohio Northern wins and Capital wins, the Crusaders will take the seventh seed. Capital will be given the eight seed if it loses and Heidelberg wins.

The Crusaders wrap up the regular season on Saturday, February 21 when they host Baldwin Wallace for its annual Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.