The College of Wooster men's basketball team's game-tying try at the buzzer was off the mark, as the Fighting Scots dropped a 69-67 heartbreaker to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in the championship game of the program's annual E.M. "Mose" Hole/Wooster Kiwanis Classic on Tuesday at Timken Gymnasium.

For the game-tying try, Wooster looked to all-tournament team member Quincy Jones at the rim on the inbounds play from the sideline. The Scots' junior did his best to have the right touch on the mid-air catch-and-shoot, as Wooster had just eight tenths of a second to get the game-tying or game-winning try off.

First-year Tommy Vaughn Jr. tied the game at 67 on the previous possession. The guard hit a turnaround jumper from about 10 feet out with 20.3 seconds remaining. That came on the heels of senior Isaac Roeder reaching in to poke the ball away from Platteville's Bristol Lewis for a steal. Lewis, the tournament's most valuable player, made up for the turnover blunder by making a floating jumper in the paint with 3.8 seconds remaining for the game-winner.

Wooster made the defensive plays it needed to down the stretch to stay within striking distance of a Platteville team which made the national quarterfinals in 2024 and was D3hoops.com's No. 1-ranked team for three weeks a season ago. Senior Jaiden Cox-Holloway denied Lewis at the rim with 5:14 remaining and the Pioneers leading by three. Sophomore Breckman Oakley's athleticism sent a 3-pointer from Lucas Rameker a different direction on the next possession, and the Scots' sophomore had his third block of the game on Miles Hettinger's tip-in try in the final 2:30. Platteville led by three at the time of both of Oakley's late-game blocks.

Vaughn Jr.'s driving layup pulled Wooster within 65-62 at 2:49, then Cox-Holloway buried a 3-pointer inside the final two minutes to tie the game at 65.

Earlier, Wooster pulled within 39-37 at the half, thanks to Vaughn Jr.'s driving layup in the final 10 seconds. That upped the first-year's first-half point haul to 14. He factored heavily into Wooster climbing back into a game in which it trailed 13-3 5:15 into. Vaughn Jr. scored 12 straight Wooster points to pull the Scots within 21-17 at 9:00 in the first half.

Cox-Holloway's 3-pointer from the wing with 17:52 remaining gave Wooster its first lead at 40-39. Wooster next led at 51-49 when sophomore Si Kielian hit a baseline jumper on an inbounds play with 10:57 remaining. Wooster's lead did not get above two in the game.

Jones and Vaughn Jr. were Wooster's selections on the all-tournament team. They finished with 18 points each. Jones' 18 points were two off his Wooster-best, while Vaughn Jr. upped his collegiate-best for the fourth time. They combined to shoot 16-of-24. Cox-Holloway added 13 points. Cox-Holloway, Roeder, and Vaughn Jr. tied for high honors in rebounds with five.

Wooster shot 50 percent (28-of-56) and saw 43 of its 67 points come from the bench.

Platteville was led by Lewis' 22 points. He was 8-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-7 from downtown. Hettinger was the defensive most valuable player. He had 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals in the championship game. Rameker rounded out the all-tournament selections from the championship game with an 11-point night.

Platteville shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59) for the game and turned 12 Wooster turnovers into 16 points.

Platteville is now 8-3. Wooster is 4-8.

Hanover College (7-4) beat Geneva College (5-6) 80-68 in the consolation game. Hanover's Malachi McNair was unstoppable, dropping in 27 points on 13-of-18 shooting. His 23 rebounds were six shy of Geneva's team total. McNair was joined on the all-tournament team by Geneva's Nick Million. The Golden Tornadoes top all-around player from Monday scored eight points and had five rebounds.

Next, Div. III's greatest rivalry is renewed as the division's two winningest teams square off for the 132nd time at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3 at Pam Evans Smith Arena in Springfield, Ohio. Wooster carries a 1-2 North Coast Athletic Conference record into Saturday's rivalry game, while Wittenberg University is 9-2, 2-0 NCAC on the year. Wooster leads the all-time series 70-61 and has won nine of the last 10 contests.