GAMBIER, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers have struggled to close out games throughout the 2014-15 season. However, the Tigers did just that against the Kenyon Lords, overcoming a rally by the host team to pull away down the stretch and secure an 80-75 victory.
The win was Wittenberg's third in the last four games, moving the Tigers to 10-14 overall and, more importantly, 8-9 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Combined with DePauw's loss to Wabash and Denison's loss to Hiram, Wittenberg's win over Kenyon kept the Tigers in contention for a top-four position in the league standings.
Wittenberg is in fifth place in the NCAC standings with one game remaining, at home on Senior Recognition Day against last-place Hiram. The Tigers are one game behind DePauw, which plays first-place Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday. Wittenberg holds the tiebreaker if the two teams end up in a tie at season's end thanks to a season sweep of DePauw.
After taking a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime, Wittenberg stretched the lead to as many as 14 points before Kenyon rallied. The Lords put together a 15-0 that turned a 51-37 Wittenberg lead into a 52-51 Kenyon advantage with 8:52.
The Tigers had a response, starting with a three-pointer by sophomore Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) that jumpstarted an 18-8 Wittenberg run. After Kenyon closed within 76-75 with 33 seconds left, the Tigers once again answered, this time with 5-of-8 free throws and a stout defensive effort that led to seven straight Kenyon misses.
Phillippi led Wittenberg with 20 points, while sophomore Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) added 12 points and six rebounds, which tied for team honors in that category. Freshman Chris Sloneker (Monroe, Ohio/Monroe) chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) finished with eight points and six boards.
As a team, Wittenberg shot 47 percent from the field, including 7-of-19 from three-point range. After struggling from the free throw line in a four-point loss to Wooster four days earlier, the Tigers bounced back to hit 23-of-29 from the charity stripe. In addition, Wittenberg held a 38-30 rebounding advantage.
Written By: Ryan Maurer