WESTERVILLE, Ohio — The Wittenberg men's basketball team faced a five-point deficit at halftime, but a strong second period of three-point shooting from Otterbein pushed the Cardinals to a 78-64 win over the Tigers Wednesday night. The road loss sets Wittenberg back to even at 4-4 overall.
The teams waged an earnest battle in an exciting first half that featured five tie scores. Wittenberg held a lead for just over three minutes late in the period, and during that time led by as much as six.
Otterbein shot over 50-percent in the period, but defensive pressure limited their shots and kept the game close.
In the second half, Otterbein found extra opportunities, especially from outside, and converted on them. They went 6-of-7 from three-point range despite 9-for-20 overall shooting.
The Tigers relied on the long shot as well in the second and made six of their own three-pointers, finishing the period with two more field goals than Otterbein. The trouble for Wittenberg started with the whistles, which sent the Cardinals to line 19 times, where they converted 16 tries against Wittenberg's 3-of-4.
Sophomore guard Cameron Walton (Waterville, Ohio/Anthony Wayne) led the Tigers in scoring for the first time in his career with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 5-of-9 from long range.
Junior post Alex Brandt (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy) scored 10 points on 5-of-8 and 2-of-2 at the line, helping stop the gap when junior Clayton Black (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) left with five fouls.
Freshman guard Steven Newell (Englewood, Ohio/Northmont) and senior wing Seth Hill (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Bellefontaine) each paced the team with five rebounds, while senior guard Chris Sullivan (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington)contributed five steals and nine points.
The Tigers return to the hardwood after Christmas in the annual Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic, facing off first with Kean at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29 at Pam Evans Smith Arena.
John Strawn '07