RICHMOND, Ind. - The Wittenberg Tigers found their collective shooting stroke and snapped a two-game losing streak with an 88-74 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) victory over host Earlham.
The win moved the Tigers to 14-4 overall and 6-3 in the NCAC and got back into a second-place tie in the conference title chase. Wittenberg is one of four teams tied for the runner-up spot in the NCAC, three full games behind nationally ranked Wooster. Earlham, which lost for the 11th straight time in the 2009-10 season and the 20th straight time to Wittenberg (dating back to 2000), fell to 3-15 overall and 1-8 in the NCAC.
The Tigers jumped out to a 12-2 lead, but the Quakers remained within striking distance until the early stages of the second half. That's when Wittenberg expanded a 12-point halftime lead to as much as 25 before the reserves gained valuable playing time in the closing minutes.
The key for Wittenberg was an outstanding shooting performance. The Tigers hit 58 percent from the field for the game, including a blistering 64 percent over the game's final 20 minutes. The hot shooting extended beyond the three-point arc, where Wittenberg hit 10-of-19, and the free throw line, where the Tigers drained 12-of-14.
Individually, junior Chris Sullivan (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) led the way with 20 points, including a 6-of-10 performance from long distance. Senior Mark Snyder (Celina, Ohio/Parkway) added 12 points and four rebounds, while sophomores Josh McKee (New Carlisle, Ohio/Tecumseh) and Clayton Black (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) chipped in with nine points apiece. In all, 15 Wittenberg players saw action in the game, with 13 of them scoring at least one point.
Wittenberg returns to action at 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, when the Tigers welcome Allegheny to the HPER Center. The game carries great importance as the two teams are among four tied for second place in the league standings with matching 6-3 records.