Springfield OH – The No. 11 Tigers are back on the court for the final game of the annual Kiwanis Holiday Classic, this time facing off against the Quakers of Wilmington College. Wittenberg came ready to play on day two of the classic, jumping out to a 43-31 by the intermission, before cruising past the Quakers for the win, 74-52. Over the two days of action, Wittenberg's own Connor Seipel would go on to earn All-Classic Honors, and Jacob Bertemes was named the 2018 the Kiwanis Classic MVP. Seipel tallied a two-day total of 22 points and 25 rebounds, while Bertemes poured in 34 points, adding nine rebounds and four assists.
Game Breakdown:
The Tigers were ready to play on day two of the Kiwanis Classic, taking the lead early on in the first half, holding a 21-6 advantage over the Quakers through the first minutes of action. Wilmington would fight back, cutting the scoring gap to nine points later in the half, but the Quaker defense could not hold back the Tiger offense, as Wittenberg posted a 61.5 percent mark from the field in the first half. Wittenberg opened the second half on a 11-4 scoring run, extending their lead to 54-34. The Tigers would go on to allow the Quakers to convert on just 22 percent from the field in the second half, including going 1 of 15 from deep range. Wittenberg won the battle on the boards on the night, grabbing 49 rebounds to Wilmington's 35.
Who Stood Out:
Seipel was a rebound shy of a first-half double-double, posting 10 points with nine rebounds. The Columbus, Ohio native would get involved at both ends of the floor, finishing with 14 points, three assists, two steals, and a season-high 16 rebounds. Bertemes tallied 13 of his 19 points in the first half against the Quakers, converting on 7 of 9 attempts from the floor on the night. James Johnson finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, adding two blocked shots, along with an assist and a steal.
From The Bench:
UP NEXT:
Wittenberg will return to action on Thursday, Jan. 3 when they host the Big Red of Denison University at 7:00 PM.