HU DOMINATES OHIO CHILLICOTHE 100-57 ON FIRST EVER INTEGRITY DAY
Men's Basketball | Thu, Dec. 20, 2018 at 6:50 PM
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – On its first ever Integrity Day, the HU men's basketball team steamrolled Ohio University Chillicothe 100-57 Thursday afternoon at Platt Arena. It marked the program's largest margin of victory since November of 2015 when the Foresters disposed of Moody Bible Institute 82-38.
In addition to the convincing W, the afternoon was highlighted by over 350 energetic 5th graders from Huntington County cheering on their Foresters as part of the day's events that also included a program prior to the game where they learned about the NAIA's five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Sophomore Zac Owens scored nine points in the opening five minutes to leave little doubt the Foresters would be victorious as it was already a double digit difference, 16-6, by the 14:50 mark. The lead would only grow after that as the cushion turned into 25 points, 43-18, after another ten minutes and by halftime, the hosts had ballooned their advantage to 33 at 57-24.
Owens poured in an additional 13 points over the final 15 minutes of the half to fuel his team's dominant performance. He finished the frame 8-for-9 from the field which included dropping in four triples while Konner Platt and Tyler Arens added 12 and ten points respectively. Huntington scorched he nets at 723.1 percent by missing just seven shots in the frame (19-for-26).
Everyone saw action in the second half with ten Foresters getting into the scoring column by game's end to further pull away to make for the 43-point blowout. When all was said and done, Platt's crew shot a season-high 64.3 percent from the floor (36-for-56). It also marked the third time this year HU has scored at least 100 points.
Platt and Owens each tossed in 22 points. They also combined to rip down 11 rebounds and dish out seven assists. Arens finished with 14 points. Nick Macon added seven points in addition to handing out ten dimes and snagging four steals. Andrew Yoder, Wyatt Hughes and Spencer Ballinger all came off the bench to tally eight points apiece.
Anthony Dixon recorded 14 points to lead the Hilltoppers (2-10). Mikel Pritchard also finished in double figures with 13.
The win sends Huntington into Christmas break with an 11-5 record. The Foresters are off until December 29 when they play at St. Xavier.
The Huntington University Foresters compete in 17 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 38 NAIA All-America honors and 296 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.