Wesley Jones scores 15 points as CSU beats Tiffin 76-69

Here is the press release from Central State University:

After trailing most of the first half and down three at half time the Marauders received a spark from guard Wesley Jones who came off the bench and scored 15 points, thirteen of them in the second half to over come the three point shooting of Tiffin University for a 76-69 victory. Jones hit a jumper at the 12:25 mark of the second half to give the Marauders their first lead of the half 50-49. Tiffin’s Keenan Barlow, who hit 6 three point baskets on the night, hit one to move the Dragons back into the lead. Jones hit a lay-up at 11:05 to tie the score.
Gino Smith hit two of his 16 points at 9:30 and then Wesley Jones hit a three for the Marauders to give them a 60-56 lead.

Tiffin battled back and moved ahead with a 68-64 lead with 4:30 remaining in the game. Cole Prophet, of the Marauders who lead his team in scoring hit a three to move the Marauders to within one. On the other end of the court the Marauder defense stiffened and forced a turnover and Gino Smith was fouled and tied the score at 69 all hitting on one of two free throws. A minute later at 1:46 Smith hit two more from the charity stripe to give CSU the lead for good at 71-69. After missing a shot and getting the ball out of bounds Tiffin turned the ball over when Wesley Jones stole the inbounds pass and Cole Prophet hit a jumper for the Marauders. With less than a minute to play the Dragons had committed only 5 team fouls and then had to foul the Marauders twice before putting them on the line. The Marauders hit three of five free throws while the Dragons turned the ball over once and then missed a long three point attempt in the last minute to seal the CSU victory. Anthony Passley added 11 points for CSU and the Marauders turned the ball over only 13 times to the Dragons 23. The Marauders won the battle of the boards 42 to thirty five but struggled at the free throw line for the third game in a row hitting on 11 of 16 attempts.

The Dragons three point shooting disappeared in the second half when they hit only 5 of 15 as compared to 6 of 9 in the first half.

CSU is on the road until their Christmas break traveling to Springfield, IL for a rematch with the Prairie Stars of the University of Illinois—Springfield, the first of five road games, who the Marauders defeated on November 30 at home 100-82.