SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — This one was a battle of the boards, which points to exactly why the Wittenberg University Tigers won the game and are ranked among the top 15 teams in the nation in NCAA Division III. Wittenberg, which improved to 9-1 with an 81-55 win over Illinois College, outrebounded its visitors 64-31. The 64 rebounds broke a 13-year-old tournament record, and the 29 offensive boards that were part of that total are also believed to be a record (no official record kept in that category.

The Tigers started slowly but pulled away midway through the first half and eventually gained a 47-32 halftime advantage. Peter Walker was again full of energy off the Wittenberg bench with 16 points and seven rebounds, while B.J. Harris led the assault on the boards with 12 rebounds and 15 points. Kevin Longley was also in double figures in rebounds, while Mark Borland reached double digits in scoring.

Illinois College got a nice game from center Garrett Ingram, who finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, but the Blueboys had no answer for Wittenberg's depth. Adam Wenger came off the bench to contribute 10 points, but it wasn't enough for IC, which managed just two fewer total rebounds than the Tigers had on the offensive end.