SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers dominated all phases of their 2015-16 home opener en route to a 71-41 victory over visiting Otterbein.
The win was Wittenberg's second straight to open the season, and it gave the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) a perfect 4-0 mark in the first-ever NCAC/OAC Challenge. The Tigers beat Capital on Saturday, Nov. 14, and Otterbein, and Ohio Wesleyan beat both Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) teams on the alternate nights.
The entire NCAC/OAC Challenge was played in honor of Capital Head Coach Damon Goodwin, who is taking a medical leave of absence following a recent leukemia diagnosis. All four teams wore special shooting shirts and proceeds raised throughout the two-day event will go to support Goodwin and raise awareness about his disease. News Release
Wittenberg jumped out to a 10-0 lead through the first eight minutes and never looked back. While the Tigers played well offensively, it was the defensive performance that really stood out as the Cardinals were stifled into 25 percent shooting from the floor (14-of-56).
By halftime, Wittenberg led 37-17, and over the final 20 minutes the lead ballooned to as many as 34 points before both teams emptied their benches. The Tigers shot 46.8 percent for the game.
In addition to the fine work Wittenberg did guarding the Cardinals, the Tigers were just as successful in boxing them out, finishing with a 50-34 rebounding advantage. Junior Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) did not have his shot working, as he finished with six points, but he led both teams with 10 rebounds, in addition to four assists and three blocked shots.
Senior Alex Fultz (Batavia, Ohio/Glen Este) led a balanced offensive attack with 14 points as he made 5-of-6 shots from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Fultz also grabbed seven rebounds and dished out three assists.
Junior Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) finished with 13 points, and freshman Ryan Gallimore (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) was impressive in his home debut with eight points off the bench.
Written By: Ryan Maurer