Springfield, Ohio – The No. 24 Wittenberg University men's basketball team cruised to an 80-58 victory over the Gators of Allegheny College on Saturday afternoon from Pam Evans Smith Arena. The Tigers finished with four players scoring in double digits, combing for 63 points. Jacob Bertemes led the Red and White scoring effort with 20 points, knocking down 8 of 14 from the field, adding four rebounds and five assists to his total on the day. With this win, Wittenberg moves to 14-5 on the season and 8-4 in North Coast Athletic Conference action.
Game Breakdown
The two teams went back and forth to open the game, as Allegheny hung with the Tigers through the first 13 minutes of action. Wittenberg captured their first true advantage of the game, extending their lead in the first half off a Mitchell Balser three-pointer, giving the Red and White a 27-24 advantage. The Tigers added to their lead coming down the stretch heading into the half, holding a 37-29 lead at the break. Balser collected 11 points in the first half, knocking down 4 of 10 from the field and 3 of 9 from beyond the arc through the first 20-minutes of action. The Centerville, OH native added four rebounds and an assist to get the offense rolling in the first half. Connor Seipel would also tally 10 points before the break, knocking down 5 of 10 looks from the field to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Coming off a first half during which the Tigers knocked down 40 percent of their shots from the field. Wittenberg went on to outscore the Gators 43-29 down the stretch in the second half, converting on 17 of 32 attempts from the floor. Bertemes tallied 11 of his 20 points during the second half, while James Johnson scored 8 of his 10 points down the stretch for the Red and White. Wittenberg held a comfortable 15-point lead over the Gators throughout the second half, posting their largest advantage at 22 points with just under a minute to play.
Who Stood Out
Jordan Pumroy helped the Tigers clean up the glass, reeling in a team-high 13 rebounds to go along with nine points and three assists. Seipel finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, dishing out five assists and blocking a shot. Balser closed out the afternoon with 16 points, hauling in five rebounds, and serving up two assists while coming up with a steal. Johnson pulled down nine rebounds and served up three assists to go along with two blocked shots and 10 points.
From The Bench
�� Matt Croci discusses @WittenbergHoops 80-58 win over Allegheny. @WittAthleticshttps://t.co/6uaNNFMaVL
— Scott Leo (@Scott_Leo) January 26, 2019
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will travel to Denison University on Wednesday, Jan. 30 for a 7:30 PM tip-off against the Big Red.