WOOSTER, Ohio—Ohio Wesleyan University led Hobart College from the opening basket through the final horn in the E.M. "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic. The Battling Bishops defeated the Statesmen 85-63.
 
D3hoops.com preseason honorable mention All-American Ben Simpson produced game-highs of 29 points and 13 rebounds for Ohio Wesleyan. He was 10-of-14 from the field, 2-of-5 from behind the 3-point arc, and 7-for-7 at the free throw line. Simpson was named to the all-tournament team. He was joined in double figures by Nate Axelrod (16 pts), Seth Clark (12 pts), and Jaret Gerber (11 pts).
 
For Hobart, sophomore guard Colin Dougherty scored a team-high 15 points. Junior forward Luke Ruddy notched 14 points on his way to all-tournament honors. First-year forward Sam Allen chipped in 13 points.
 
Clark sank a 3-pointer to open the game's scoring, giving the Battling Bishops a lead they never relinquished. OWU used a 14-2 run early in the contest to stretch their advantage to double digits and led by at least 10 for the remainder of the game.
 
After shooting 47 percent to Hobart's 33 percent in the opening 20 minutes, the Battling Bishops took a 37-26 lead into halftime. Simpson had 11 points at the break, while Allen paced the Statesmen with nine points.
 
Hobart improved its shooting to 44 percent in the second half, but OWU also improved, knocking down 54 percent from the field. A Ruddy layup two minutes into the stanza got the Statesmen within 11, but Simpson countered with a layup at the other end of the floor and Hobart trailed by at least 12 and as many as 25 down the stretch.
 
Hobart faced a tough draw in the Classic. The host College of Wooster won 24 games and reached the NCAA quarterfinals last season, while OWU is coming off a 25-win season that saw the Battling Bishops reached the third round of the NCAA tournament.
 
The Statesmen will open Liberty League play on Friday, Jan. 6, when they visit Bard College. Tipoff in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., is slated for 8 p.m.