Tuesday, January 7th, 2020
College Notes
Hoyng, Pioneers nationally ranked
By Daily Standard Staff
By Colin Foster & Gary R. Rasberry
A few years ago, Caleb Hoyng decided to play basketball for Marietta College after graduating from Celina High School.
He made a good choice.
Hoyng is playing key minutes for a nationally-ranked basketball team. The Pioneers are ranked eighth in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, falling two spots last week after peaking at No. 6.
Hoyng is averaging 7.6 points and 5.4 rebounds. He's shooting 49.3% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. On Dec. 28, Hoyng scored a season-high 14 points in an 88-80 loss to Salisbury University, Marietta's lone setback of the season.
Delphos St. John's graduate Tim Kreeger, who scored a season-high 19 points in Saturday's 75-64 win over Wilmington, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Pioneers (10-1), who host Muskingum Wednesday.
Toledo on a losing streak
After winning five straight games, Luke Knapke (Marion Local) and the Toledo Rockets have lost four in a row.
The Rockets nearly knocked of Notre Dame on Nov. 21 and then went on to win five straight against University of Northwestern Ohio, Oakland, Cleveland State, Marshall and Detroit Mercy. Since then, they lost to Kansas City, Wright State, Bradley and Ball State.
In 14 starts, Knapke is averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. Toledo (8-6) visits Kent State tonight.
Bruns solid for Findlay
Nate Bruns (Marion Local) is averaging 10.4 points on 60.7% shooting to go along with 5.8 rebounds in his freshman season for the Findlay Oilers, who are on a four-game winning streak. In Findlay's most recent wins over Judson and Lake Erie, Bruns scored 15 points each night.
Findlay (8-5) hosts Cedarville on Thursday.
Frilling stepping up for Case
Case Western Reserve University is 7-4 this season and begins University Athletic Association play on Saturday at home with Carnegie Mellon.
Freshman Cole Frilling (Coldwater) has played his way into a key role for the Spartans, averaging 23.3 minutes off the bench this season. Frilling is second on the team with a scoring average of 11.1 points and leads the team in rebounding with 6.4 boards per game.
Cox starting for
Yellow Jackets
Defiance College is 7-4 out the gate and 2-2 in Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
Junior Micaiah Cox (Fort Recovery) has started all 11 games for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 8.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this season.
Defiance hosts Bluffton in HCAC play on Wednesday.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Mescher leads Polar Bears
The Ohio Northern University women's basketball team has ben playing well this season. The Polar Bears are 9-2, having won three straight, and are 3-1 in the Ohio Athletic Conference.
Senior Emily Mescher has been a key component in the great play for ONU. The Marion Local graduate leads the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game and in rebounding with 5.8 boards per contest. Mescher is shooting 61.1% from the field and a respectful 68.4% from the foul line.
The Polar Bears host Heidelberg in OAC play on Wednesday at the King Horn Center.
Prenger seeing time for XU
Xavier has struggled this season, having won once in 14 games while going 0-3 in Big East play.
Freshman Courtney Prenger has seen valuable playing time for the Musketeers. The Minster grad has played in all 14 games, starting one, and is averaging 16.4 minutes per game. Prenger averages three points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
Xavier looks to snap a 13-game losing streak on Saturday when the Musketeers travel to Washington, D.C. to face Georgetown in conference play.
Locals lead Racers
The University of Northwestern Ohio is 5-11 and 2-5 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.
Senior Tori Lennartz (Fort Recovery) has been a standout for the Racers. Lennartz leads the team in scoring at 17.9 ppg to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Lennartz's 38 3-pointers is second best on the team.
Freshman Erin Scott (New Knoxville) has started all 16 games this season for UNOH, averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game while leading the team with 5.1 assists.
The Racers travel to Sylvania on Wednesday to face Lourdes University.
Will helping Cougars
The University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne is 12-3 on the season and 3-1 in the Crossroads League.
Junior Whitney Will (Fort Recovery) is averaging 12.2 minutes off the bench for the Cougars. Will is averaging 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Saint Francis travels to Upland, Indiana, on Wednesday to face NAIA ninth-ranked Taylor University in Crossroads League play.
PRO BASKETBALL
Bruns, Spanish team still unbeaten
Ryan Bruns (Marion Local/Ohio Northern) is averaging 14.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots per game in his first season of Spanish professional basketball with the Aquimisa Carbajosa of the Liga Espanola de Baloncesto Aficionado (EBA). His scoring and rebounding averages rank second on the team.
And his team hasn't lost a game yet.
At 11-0, Aquismisa Carbajosa holds the lead in the EBA Group A-B standings.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Pifer to coach Rams
Dan Pifer, a 1990 Celina graduate, was named head coach at NCAA Division III Cornell College in Iowa over the holidays.
Pifer, who had been a head coach at Olivet University (Michigan) and Walsh University in Canton, takes over a team that went 4-5 last season and 1-3 in the Midwest Conference South Division.
- If there is a local college athlete that wasn't listed in this edition of College Notes, please email either cfoster@dailystandard or grasberry@dailystandard.com with information.
