SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers enjoyed a welcome breather Saturday as they cruised to a 71-41 victory over North Coast Athletic Conference rival Oberlin.
The win moved seventh-ranked Wittenberg to 11-2 overall and 3-1 in the NCAC, while Oberlin dropped to 2-10 overall and 1-3 in the conference. The Tigers have won 38 straight games against the Yeomen, including 30 straight as NCAC rivals, dating back to 1989.
The lead never changed in this game as the Tigers jumped out to leads of 10-2 in the opening minutes, 41-25 by halftime and 60-30 halfway through the second period. From that point, the Tigers went cold from the field, although their defensive pressure continued to force Oberlin into sub-35 percent shooting.
Wittenberg was paced offensively by 14 points apiece from senior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and sophomore wing Gregg Hill (Redford, Mich./Union). Borchers added eight rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocked shots in 25 productive minutes, while Hill added two rebounds and a steal in just his second start since suffering a hand injury in December. The two combined to hit 12-of-16 shots from the field.
Senior guard Pat Denbow (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) enjoyed his finest offensive game of the season as he hit 3-of-5 from three-point range in the first half and finished with nine points, three assists and two rebounds in just his second start since injuring his ankle on Dec. 6 against Cedarville.
Oberlin picked up a game-high 18 points from Mike Loll, but the Yeomen were limited to 35 percent from the field and were outrebounded 38-22. In addition, Oberlin committed nine more turnovers in the game.