Burger scores 19 as Men's Basketball opens home schedule with 84-73 loss to Denison

By Tim Glon

ADA — Junior Nate Burger (Dayton/Alter) scored 19 points to lead the Ohio Northern men's basketball team in an 85-73 loss to Denison on Saturday afternoon at the ONU sports Center.

Burger led four Polar Bears in double figures in scoring.

Sophomore Ryan Burns (Chicasaw/Marion Local) scored 16 points, senior Devon Allen (Lima/Senior) scored 12 points and senior Konnor Baker (Ada) had 11 points for Ohio Northern (0-2 overall).

The Big Red (2-0) were led by Bret Woolard with 25 points.

Northern got off to a quick start and used a 10-0 run to take an early 19-10 lead midway through the first half.

Denison chipped away at the lead and managed to tie the game at 31-all at halftime.

Bruns scored to put ONU up 33-31 a minute into the second half, but DU would answer with a 25-2 run to take a commanding 56-33 lead with 11:56 left in the game.

The Polar Bears got back within 74-63 on a basket by junior Travis Feitshans (Arcanum/Franklin Monroe) with 1:40 to play, but the Big Red would make 9-of-12 free throws the rest of the way to ice the game.

Ohio Northern was 27-of-64 from the floor for 42.2 percent and was 7-of-22 from three for 31.8 percent.

Denison made 23-of-58 field goals for 39.7 percent and were 6-of-21 from 3-point range for 28.6 percent.

The Big Red made 33-of-38 free throws to 12-of-18 for ONU.

Denison out-rebounded Ohio Northern 44-36.

The Polar Bears will return to action on Tuesday when they host Defiance at 7:30 pm in the second game of a women's/men's double header with the Yellow Jackets.