HIRAM — On the road for the final time in 2025, The Heidelberg Men's Basketball team used a furious second half effort to complete the comeback against Hiram, knocking off the Terriers 68-61.
After a back-and-forth affair in the first 11 minutes, the hosts took advantage of several Heidelberg miscues to turn a one-point game into a 21-point lead. The Student Princes found momentum in the final 1:14, scoring the last eight points of the half, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Riley Gossom to cut the deficit to a manageable 13 points at the break.
The Student Princes flipped the script after halftime.
Heidelberg took full control of the second half, scoring 39 points while clamping down defensively to hold the Terriers to just 19. The suffocating defense limited Hiram to a dismal 7-of-29 shooting from the field and a complete shutout from beyond the arc, forcing nine turnovers that the Berg converted into 15 points. Offensively, Heidelberg found its rhythm with efficient paint scoring (36 points in the paint overall), while outrebounding Hiram 38-36 and dishing out 15 assists on 26 made field goals.
Trailing by as many as 17 points early in the second half, the Berg ignited a game-changing 20-4 run over the next several minutes, fueled by lockdown defense and balanced scoring. Markell Johnson-Nichols created the final lead change of the evening, scoring the go-ahead layup with 6:25 left in the game. Not taking their foot off the gas, the Student Princes pushed their lead to six thanks to a Jarveil Gainey fast-break dunk and the free throw on Abba Lawal's fouled layup. Heidelberg sealed the victory at the line, going 7-of-12 on free throws in the half compared to Hiram's five attempts.
Four Student Princes in recorded double-digit scoring: Brady Bosma led with 15 points with three three-pointers, Trey Killens added 13 points, Johnson-Nichols contributed 12 points and a game-high nine assists, and Gainey notched a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
10 players saw action, with the bench adding 17 points in the win.
Heidelberg closes out 2025 with a battle against Muskingum on December 20. The first game of the twinbill is slated for a 1 p.m. tipoff.
