SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - A David Nowicki (Carmel, Ind./Westfield)runner in the lane fell off the front of the rim in the dying seconds as the Tigers fell to NAIA foe Taylor University 58-56 in the opening round of the Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic. Down by 10 at the break, the Tigers rallied to claim a brief lead late in the game, but they could not close out the feisty Trojans.
Alex Daniel parlayed a strong shooting night into 20 points to lead all scorers. He finished with a 7-14 performance from the floor, including a trio of three-point baskets to help the cause. Austin Thoms also broke into double figures with 12 tallies, all coming from outside the arc.
Wittenberg saw strong second half performances Josh McKee (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh), as he landed nine points, and Kevin Murray (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) with 12 points, including a clutch four-point play to give the Tigers momentum.
However, the Trojans had all the answers for every Tiger run, as they picked up their 7th win of the season. Wittenberg falls to 3-6 with the loss.
The Tigers will play in the consolation game in the Zimmerman Classic, where they will meet the College of Mount St. Joseph on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 2:45 p.m. from Pam Evans Smith Arena. Taylor moves on to the title game to take on second-ranked Wheaton College at 7:45 p.m.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant
Photo By: Erin Pence