Oberlin, Ohio – November 7, 2026 – The Hiram men's basketball team traveled to Oberlin, OH Saturday afternoon, for the second and final day of the Oberlin Classic. This time, the Terriers would face the Bruins of George Fox University for the first matchup ever between the schools. The Terriers would battle with the Bruins, with both sides remaining deadlocked throughout the game. The Bruins would eventually hold on to win a close game with a score of 73-68, but not without a hard-fought effort from Hiram.
The first half opened with both teams going back-and-forth, with neither team gaining an advantage over the other. The Terrier defense would remain strong, and their offense would answer the call, keeping them in the game and within striking distance throughout the half. The Bruins of George Fox would have a slight lead heading into the half, with both teams only separated by a point at 40-39.
The Terriers would open up the second half hot, jumping out to an early 8-point lead early in the second half. The Terrier defense would still remain strong, holding their opponents on multiple possessions to keep them in the game. The Bruins would crawl back to a one-point deficit late in the second half, with the Terriers still battling against the Bruins. The Bruins would pull ahead late, with the Terriers still fighting against the Bruins. The Bruins would hit free-throws down the stretch, securing their victory in a 73-68 final, but not without a hard-fought effort from the Terriers.
Leading the way for the Terriers was DJ Niles, who would finish with a new career-high in points, dropping 19 points on 9-17 (52%) shooting from the field. Niles would also finish with 7 rebounds, marking an outstanding day for the senior. Also having an impressive day was Liam Gopalakrishna, who would finish with 17 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in an impressive day. Finally, also scoring 10 or more points was Jack Agema, who would finish with 10 points and 5 boards.
Hiram men's basketball will return to action on Monday, November 9, when they will travel to Canisius University for a exhibition with the DI opponent, with tipoff slated for 6:00 p.m.
