SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers advanced to the championship game of their home in-season basketball tournament for the 30th time in 31 years after posting a 79-40 victory over the Grove City Wolverines in the first round of the 2013 Charles B. Zimmerman Memorial Classic.
A 12-0 run in the early going broke the game open, and the Tigers never looked back. Wittenberg led by 25 points by halftime and kept the pressure on throughout the final 20 minutes, even while substituting liberally.
The 39-point win in the first-ever meeting between Wittenberg and Grove City pushed the 11th-ranked Tigers to 9-1 as the 2013-14 season nears the midway point. More importantly, the Tigers' eighth consecutive victory propelled Wittenberg into a championship game match-up with Kean at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28.
Wittenberg hit 48.3 percent of its shots from the field, including 13-of-27 from three-point range, in addition to 10-of-12 from the free throw line. Just as key to the lop-sided victory was the Tigers' defensive performance, which stifled the Wolverines to the tune of 25 percent shooting. Wittenberg also held a commanding 45-30 rebounding advantage.
Individually, 12 different Wittenberg players scored in the game, including three players in double figures. Leading the way for the first time in his collegiate career was freshman guard Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) with 12 points in 14 outstanding minutes off the bench.
Senior post Scott Masin (New Carlisle, Ohio/Bethel) added 11 points and 14 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and the 20th of his collegiate career. Junior Sam Collins (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) chipped in with 10 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Wittenberg has appeared in the championship game of its home in-season tournament 30 times, winning 25 championships. The Tigers have won eight of the last 10 titles, with a third-place finish in 2008 and a title-game defeat at the hands of Taylor a year ago the lone blemishes on the slate.
The Tigers will face Kean, which won its semifinal game 50-48 over Marian (Ind.).