Washington University (1-0) advances to the championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m. (ET) against the winner of No. 17 Calvin College or Grace Bible College.
Senior Troy Ruths scored 17 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, notching double-figures for the 33rd-consecutive game. Ruths also moved past Jarriott Rook (1999-03, 1,172 points) and Dustin Tylka (1999-03, 1,183 points) into 11th on the Washington University all-time scoring list with 1,193 points.
Junior Tyler Nading sparked an 8-0 run with six points as Washington U. hit four of its first five shots. The Polar Bears answered with a 14-6 run to knot the score at 14-14, and the took its first lead of the game after two free-throws by Loudan Hammersmith with 8:19 left in the first half.
Nading, who had nine points in the first half, converted 1-of-2 free-throws and added a lay-up with three seconds remaining in the half to give Washington U. the 34-29 halftime lead. Junior Sean Wallis led the Bears with 10 points and three assists in the opening half, while Ruths added nine points. The Bears’ defense held Ohio Northern to 35.7 percent shooting, but allowed eight second-chance points.
Ruths, a preseason first-team All-America selection, pushed the Bears lead to 49-41 with a lay-up, and then a tip-in at the 7:56 mark to make it 55-47. He scored eight of the Bears’ 10 points in a four-minute stretch. WU put the game out of reach with back-to back three-pointers from Nading and sophomore Aaron Thompson, pushing the lead to 71-55.
The Bears shot 52.8 percent from the field in the win, but struggled from the foul line, hitting just 50 percent (12-24). Wallis and Nading also scored in double figures with 17 points apiece.