COLUMBUS, Ohio – Capital men's basketball dominated the Polar Bears of Ohio Northern at home in an 81-66 victory that secures them a position in the conference tournament. The Comets win was driven by their impressive shooting efficiency and their willingness to make the extra pass.

This conference win propels Capital to 15-8 overall and 9-7 in OAC play. The Polar Bear's loss moves them to 11-12 overall and 6-10 in OAC play. The Comets were able to get revenge for a loss against Ohio Northern on the road earlier this season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The energetic Senior Day celebration rolled over onto the court for the Comets to start the first half, with senior Nate Gerber scoring the first points for the Comets. Capital did not look back from there, with multiple three-pointers reigning down from Carter Combs as Combs had nine points only six minutes into the game. The Comets were able to execute the game plan well in the first half, going up by as much as 23 in the first half. This was fueled by a 14-0 run by Capital that lasted for an impressive 5 minutes. After a very dominant first half of play, the halftime buzzer sounded and both teams headed to the locker room with a score of 44-25.

The second half was quite a show as the Polar Bears were frantically trying to put points on the board. Despite some misses early in the second half, the Comets were able to fend off Ohio Northern's initial surge, forcing a timeout from the Polar Bears. The second half of this contest had a lot of sloppy basketball, with both teams having more than fifteen turnovers. Just when it seemed that Ohio Northern was going to find their way back into the game, Capital would shut them down, just for the Polar Bears to bite back. This back and forth chippy basketball led to technical fouls to be called by players of both teams. Despite a hard-fought effort and some sloppy play from the Comets, Capital was able to lead for the entirety of this contest with a final score of 81-66.

THE NUMBERS
Baden Forup led the Comets in scoring with 19 points while also garnering four rebounds.

Carter Combs came up big in his final guaranteed home game for the Comets, bringing in a double-double with 15 points and six rebounds.

Alex Eyink came up big off the bench for Capital with 14 points.

McKane Finkenbine, Carter Combs, and Justin Nixon all saw the floor well with three assists each.

UP NEXT
Capital Men's Basketball will travel to Muskingum on Wednesday, February 14, 2024 for an OAC rematch against the Muskies. In their last matchup the Comets managed to pull out a close victory in overtime at home.