Sterling powers through to secure victory over Ottawa

OTTAWA, Kan. – Sterling secured a narrow victory over Ottawa, 65-60, on Saturday, Dec. 13 in Wilson Field House. The Warrior's 41 rebounds, 12 offensive, proved pivotal for Sterling in this closely contested matchup.

Ottawa struck first with a made three pointer from Micah Willis in the opening possession followed by a put back and another three pointer, both from Willis, to give the Braves an early advantage. Sterling responded with three consecutive threes from Julian Smith to put Sterling on top 13-10 with 13:26 to play in the first half. Ottawa quickly knotted the game up at 13-13 with a three from Jackson Harding.

The teams proceeded to trade baskets with Joseph Oparaeke grabbing crucial rebounds to keep Ottawa's scoring at bay. Ziri Blackwood made a three-pointer in the final minutes of the game to put Sterling up by one, which was quickly answered by Ottawa's Elijah Mason. A made basket by Camren Johnson with 35 seconds to play in the opening frame seemed to put Sterling on top headed into the break, but Tyler Landon was able to respond in the final seconds and the Warriors went into halftime down, 32-31.

Sterling struck first in the second half with a made three pointer from Amiri Ndayisaba followed by another three pointer by Johnson to put Sterling up 37-35. Back-to-back buckets and a pair of free throws, all from Oparaeke gave the Warriors some breathing room early in the final frame. However, three pointers and defensive rebounding from the Braves helped Ottawa back into the game and a basket by Mason gave the Braves a three-point lead midway through the second half.

Chris Drake responded with back-to-back field goals and a three pointer from Damond Daniels put Sterling back on top, 53-51 with 8:57 to play. The teams continued to trade baskets with neither seeming to take the upper hand until the Warriors went on an 10-2 run in the final minutes of play, led by Smith and Oparaeke. Solid free throw shooting from Jaivion Reed in the final minutes helped Sterling close out the game and defeat Ottawa, 65-60.

Throughout the game, Sterling capitalized on second chance points scoring 15 compared to Ottawa's 10. The Warriors also took care of the ball only committing 12 turnovers while forcing the Braves into 15.

Smith scored 18 points, making 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and collecting five rebounds. Reid recorded three assists and added six points while also securing two steals. Oparaeke tallied a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, adding a block to his performance. Drake contributed eight points and grabbed five rebounds.

The Warriors (7-6, 4-3) will be back in action next year as they take on Saint Mary University (7-5, 2-5) on Saturday, Jan. 3 in the Gleason Center at 5 p.m.

Be sure to check for news and updates on Sterling Warrior Athletics on Facebook (/SCWarriors), Twitter (@SterlingCSports), and Instagram (sterlingcsports), as well as the hashtag #SwordsUp. Watch the Warriors' live home events on the Sterling College Sports Network.