PARKLAND, Wash. - Senior wing Kevin Murray (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) scored 21 points to help the Wittenberg Tigers rally from a halftime deficit and then hold off a late challenge from Concordia-Portland (Ore.) in the final minutes for a 70-67 victory.
Playing the second game of the 2008 Pacific Northwest Invitational basketball tournament at Pacific Lutheran's Olson Auditorium, Wittenberg evened its record at 1-1 with some clutch second-half play, in particular by Murray, the lone senior on the active roster. Concordia, an NAIA scholarship program, dropped to 4-2.
After a see-saw first half that ended with Concordia holding a 34-30 halftime advantage, the Tigers took the lead for good with 6:37 remaining in the game on a fast break layup by Murray. Wittenberg led by as much as five points on a couple of occasions after that, and then withstood five points in the final minute by Concordia. Murray hit the second of two foul shots with 3.1 seconds left, and Concordia's potential ensuing game-tying three-point shot was late and short.
On the heels of his 15-point performance against Capital in the season opener on Nov. 25, junior guard David Nowicki (Carmel, Ind./Westfield) was stellar again with 14 points and five assists against just one turnover in 28 minutes. Just as importantly, the Tigers picked up 21 big points off the bench, led by sophomore guard Seth Hill (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) with a career-high 11. Sophomore forward Lewis Buzzard (Columbus, Ohio/Franklin Heights) added a career-best eight rebounds and four points in 13 quality minutes off the bench.
Both teams play again on Saturday as Concordia-Portland faces Concordia-Moorhead at 4 p.m. and Wittenberg plays host Pacific Lutheran at 8 p.m. All times are Pacific Coast Time.