NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The Ohio Dominican men's basketball team couldn't find an answer for a sharp-shooting Walsh offense, falling to the Cavaliers 92-59 in Alumni Arena Thursday evening.

The Panthers responded early in their tilt at Walsh, but eventually fell on hard times. Senior forward John Trew (Barberton, Ohio) knotted the score at 5-5 after a trey from an assist by Ledarius Stennis (Moss Point, Mo.). 

Walsh responded with a 9-2 run over the next five minutes, increasing the margin to seven with just under 15 minutes left to play in the frame.

The Panthers cut the deficit to three, 14-11, after a pair of free throws by sophomore center Bobby Stauffer (Lexington, Ky.). 

Freshman guard Mark Minch (West Chester) stepped in the passing lane for a steal, dished the ball to senior point guard Morgan Jones (Oberlin, Ohio) who tied the game at 14-14 after his triple was good at the 13:22 mark. That is when the hard times hit the Panthers, as they went scoreless for nearly six minutes.

The Cavaliers would go on to score the next 17 points, pushing their margin to 31-14. Freshman Trent Weaver (Columbus, Ohio) hit his first three-pointer of the season, which stopped the scoring drought. 

The Panthers chipped away at the Cavaliers, cutting the lead to eight, 39-31 when freshman center Jordan Cowgill (Worthington, Ohio) made a reverse layup at the 1:38 mark.

Walsh scored the last five points of the half, sending the Cavaliers into the locker room with the 13 point lead, 44-31. 

The first five minutes of the second half proved to be no better for ODU, as the Cavaliers opened with a 20-9 run, making the lead 64-40. At the 3:22 mark, Walsh had extended their lead to 84-57 and never looked back, cruising to a 92-59 victory.

Jones led the Panthers with 21 points while Stauffer chipped in with 17 points and six rebounds. Weaver finished the game with nine points and nine rebounds. 

The Panthers return to the hardwood this Saturday, Feb. 16 for a 1 p.m. tip-off against Malone in the Osborne Center in Canton, Ohio.

Contact: Sarah Twiggs
twiggss@ohiodominican.edu