After leading 40-33 at the half, the Mighty Oaks of Oakland City University had work left to do against the Tigers of Hiwassee College in order to reach the championship game tomorrow night.
OCU proved up to the challenge, connecting on their free throws down the stretch, and winning by the final score of 82-72. The Oaks improved to 24-2 on the year, while Hiwassee drops to 16-9. OCU's 24 wins on the year ties a team record, as they will look to surpass that tomorrow.
Logan Worthington led the way for the Oaks, scoring 20 point while blocking three shots. Addison Wagler added 19 counters and eight rebounds, followed by 17 points and five steals from Andrew Scott. Joe Hinton managed 15 points and three steals, while Beau Hefner came off the bench to notch 11 counters.
Aario Johnson paced the Tigers, with game highs in both points and rebounds, scoring 22 points and hauling in 12 missed shots. Marius Williams added 14 counters, while both Dess Culpepper and Tevin Henry each came up with eight points and six boards.
For the game, OCU shot 26-50 (52.0%) from the field, despite making just 2-10 (20.0%) from beyond the arc. Hiwassee conntected on 28-68 (41.2%) of their shot attempts, including 8-16 (50.0%) from distance. The Oaks won the game from the free throw line, where they went 28-30 (93.3%), compared to 8-11 (72.7%) for the visiting Tigers.
As a team, the Oaks trailed were edged out in rebounds 36-32, thanks to a 15-5 deficit on the offensive glass. OCU had 12 assists and as many turnovers, while Hiwassee had 11 assists and 14 errors.
Tomorrow's CCNIT schedule will be:
2:00 pm - Fifth Place Game
Johnson University-Florida vs. Wright State University-Lake Campus
4:00 pm - Third Place Game
Rhema College vs. Hiwassee College
6:00 pm - Seventh Place Game
Southwestern Adventist University vs. Carolina Christian College
8:00 pm - Championship Game
Oakland City University vs. Wilberforce University
