SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Tigers were coming off their two best games of the season and an enjoyable eight-day break for the Christmas holiday. Small wonder then that they started slowly before easing past the visiting Case Western Reserve Spartans 72-62.

The win improved Wittenberg to 7-3 overall heading into North Coast Athletic Conference action on Saturday at Oberlin. Case Western, once a fellow NCAC member, dropped to 2-7 on the season while losing for the 21st time in 27 all-time meetings with the Tigers.

Case Western pulled out to an early 8-2 lead before the Tigers shifted things off autopilot and warmed up. The Spartans' last lead of a back-and-forth first half came at the 2:08 mark on a jumper by Carson Oren, but that was answered less than a minute later by Tiger senior guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams)as he drained a three-pointer that put the team ahead for good at 35-33. Sophomore Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) added a lay-up with 55 seconds to go in the half to give the Tigers a four-point cushion. In the second half, Wittenberg advanced the lead quickly, then had the Spartans trim it to one point at 47-46 with 14:51 remaining. But a 19-6 spurt covering the next seven minutes of action enlarged the lead to 13 points, punctuated by sophomore Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and a three-pointer from the top of the key. From that point, Case never managed to get the lead back under double digits.

Wittenberg was paced by Russ' 14 points, but the balance in the Tigers' attack was the real key in this game. Senior Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) finished with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists; junior Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) added 10 points and three rebounds; Borchers came off the bench to have his best game in the Red & White with 10 points (on 5-of-6 shooting) and six rebounds, both career highs; freshman Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) had nine points and a career-best seven rebounds; and sophomore Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) continued to play with extreme confidence as he posted totals of eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Case Western got a game-high 21 points from Oren and 17 more from Funso Lafe in a losing effort.