SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers saw their four-game winning streak snapped as Hiram caught fire in the second half to pull away for a 62-57 victory.
The loss dropped the Tigers to 12-5 overall and 5-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), while Hiram, which beat No. 9-ranked Ohio Wesleyan four days earlier, improved to 10-7 overall and 4-4 in the conference. The two teams are scheduled for a rematch on the Terriers' home floor in the regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 16.
Hiram started fast and finished even stronger. The Terriers led 18-10 with 8:29 left in the first half before Wittenberg got its offense on track to finish the opening 20 minutes on a 15-2 run.
Wittenberg's five-point halftime advantage evaporated over the course of a scoreless first three minutes of the second half as Hiram answered with a 6-0 out of the intermission. The teams then traded the lead back and forth over the next eight minutes before a decisive 10-0 Hiram burst staked the Terriers to a 45-38 lead with 6:07 to play.
Wittenberg could get no closer than three points the rest of the way as Hiram hit 6-of-8 free throws over the final 38 seconds.
Wittenberg finished with a respectable shooting percentage of 43.5, compared to 40.4 for Hiram. The difference came from the three-point line as the Terriers drained 50 percent of their 14 attempts, compared to Wittenberg's 28 percent on 25 shots from distance.
The Tigers held a 34-27 rebounding advantage, but they were hurt by 12 turnovers, compared to just four for the sure-handed Terriers. Individually, Wittenberg was paced by senior Cam Walton (Waterville, Ohio/Anthony Wayne) with 18 points, one shy of his career high and 10 more than he had scored in a game during the 2012-13 season. He was joined in double figures offensively by junior Scott Masin (New Carlisle, Ohio/Bethel) with 12 points and six rebounds and freshman Alex Fultz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Glen Este) with 11 points and six boards.
Wittenberg next hits the road next for a key NCAC game at DePauw on Wednesday, Jan. 23, followed by a home date with Oberlin on Saturday, Oct. 26.