NEW CONCORD, Ohio – Free throws. They can make or break any game, and the Heidelberg University men's basketball team needed all of theirs on Saturday, making 32-of-41 from the charity stripe in a 93-87 victory on the road over Muskingum.

The Student Princes let a large second-half lead dwindle towards the end, but a big shot by freshman Kiere' Bennie made the difference down the stretch, giving Heidelberg what they needed to claim the win.

THREE STARS

Marcquice Taylor scored a new career-high 26 points, surpassing the 20 he scored earlier this season against Trine. The junior guard went 14-of-16 from the free throw line and made 2-of-3 from behind the arc to lead the Student Princes on the road.

Shane Lee had himself a big afternoon, erupting for a career-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor. 11 of his points came in the first half, where the Berg was able to build a seven-point edge entering halftime.

Bennie was clutch for Heidelberg down the stretch, nailing a trey with under two minutes to play to cap off a 7-0 run by himself, putting the Student Princes back ahead by 10. He finished the game with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists. Eight of those 10 points came in the final five minutes of the game, helping lift the Berg to the win.

KEY STATS

The 32 free throws made by the Berg was a season-high, surpassing the 30 they made against Westminster back on November 19th. As Muskingum began to chip away at what became a 17-point lead at one point for Heidelberg, free throws kept the Student Princes on top.

Heidelberg (9-12, 5-9 OAC) shot 60% from beyond the 3-point line in the game, knocking down 9-of-15. The 3-pointer by Bennie was the shot of the game, building the Berg lead back out to double-digits with under two minutes to play.

The turnover battle was in favor of the Student Princes yet again, as they were +14 in the game. Pressure defense by the Berg forced the host Muskies into 23 turnovers, while Heidelberg committed just nine.

FIRST HALF

After the two teams traded blows to open the game, Heidelberg got out to a seven-point lead at the 14:23 mark after senior Cole Williams made a jumper.

Muskingum (6-15, 3-11 OAC) cut the lead down just one with 4:38 to play, but a 10-0 run by the Student Princes gave them a 39-28 lead with 2:48 to go after a Collins layup.

A last-second jumper by Christian Keller of Muskingum made the score 45-38 in favor of the Berg entering the break.

SECOND HALF

The Muskies came out of the locker room ready to battle in the second period, cutting the deficit to just three with 15:08 remaning after a trey by Logan Kimble.

Heidelberg would not give in, however, as they went on a 14-0 run to take command. 3-pointers by Chris Moxley and Williams started the stretch, while Moxley capped off the run with 12:07 to play with a layup, making the score 70-53 in favor of the Student Princes.

Muskingum chipped away at the big lead and was able to cut it all the way down to three points with just under five minutes remaining.

Bennie then went on a 7-0 run of his own, getting a pair of layups and a trey to build the lead back out to double-digits (86-76) at the 1:41 mark. The Student Princes were able to weather the storm from that point on, holding that lead till the end for the 93-87 win.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

Junior Jackson Blue came up big on the offensive glass in the second half for Heidelberg, pulling down five boards on that end of the floor, giving the Student Princes opportunities for second-chance points.

The 23 turnovers were the second-most that Muskingum has committed in a game this season. The most was 31, also forced by Heidelberg in their meeting earlier this season on December 6th in Tiffin.

QUOTES

Head coach Andy Bucheit on what made the difference in the game: "The play of the game was Kiere's three with about two minutes to go. He stepped up and made a huge shot, which is what big time players do."

Bucheit on the game flow: "We were able to affect the game with our style of play. We were able to get a big lead, and sometimes with the way we play it allows teams to get back into the game a little faster than someone who plays a slower pace."

Bucheit on the contributions from a number of players: "Several guys stepped up and contributed today. Shane made some big plays on both ends and Marcquice controlled the game offensively for us."

Bucheit on his team's effort day in, day out: "Our coaching staff loves this team. We have a selfless group of guys who are committed to playing hard every day. It makes our lives as coaches so much easier. We are blessed to have these young men in our basketball family."

POSTSEASON PUSH

The win for Heidelberg puts them in a tie for sixth place in the Ohio Athletic Conference Standings, two games ahead of the teams tied for eighth. The top eight teams qualify for the conference tournament, with the top four hosting first round games.

UP NEXT

The Student Princes return home next Wednesday, February 11th, to take on rival Ohio Northern in Seiberling Gymnasium. Tip off for that contest is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. In their meeting earlier this season on January 21st in Ada, the Polar Bears dealt the Berg a 76-66 defeat. ONU outscored Heidelberg 48-30 in the second half of that game to come away with the victory.