Greensboro, N.C. – The Wittenberg men's basketball team took on the Quakers of Guilford College in the second round of the NCAA DIII Tournament on Saturday evening from Greensboro, N.C. on Saturday night. The Tigers bowed out in the second round of NCAA action for the second year in a row, falling to Guilford 70-61. Wittenberg finished with three Tigers tallying double-figures on the night, as James Johnson recorded 15 points while adding five rebounds. The Tigers close out the season with a 24-6 record, ending their 11 game winning streak after going unbeaten during the month of February and a run which includes the Red and White winning 13 of their last 15 games of the season.
Game Breakdown
Johnson continued to shoot the lights out of the gym, logging the first five points for the Red and White. Fueling the Tiger offense was some stand-up defense, as Wittenberg forced six turnovers from the Quakers through the early going. The two sides matched buckets midway through the first half, as the Tigers cut into the early Guilford advantage down to 23-21 with just over seven minutes in the first half. After scoring the first three baskets of the game for the Red and White, Johnson led the Tiger scoring charge into the half with 11 points. Connor Seipel cleaned up on the glass through the opening 20-minutes, reeling in six rebounds. Wittenberg knocked down 11 of 29 from the floor to open the game, as Guilford held a 32-28 advantage of the Tigers in the first half. Wittenberg closed out the first half, shooting 37 percent from the floor while converting on 4 of 16 from beyond the arc. Wittenberg applied the pressure in the second half, unable to overcome the Guilford advantage in the second half. As the clock ticked closer to zero, Mitchell Balser cut the Guilford lead down to three points with just under two and half minutes left in the game.
Who Stood Out
Jacob Bertemes tallied 13 points, knocking down the 6 of 13 looks from the field, adding three steals and two assists. Seipel added points, converting on 5 of 7 from the floor with nine rebounds. Rashaad Ali-Shakir provided nine points off the bench for the Red and White, knocking down 4 of 6 from the floor, pulling down three rebounds and dishing out one assist. Mitchell Balser and Levi Boettcher each provided six points off the bench, with Balser adding a rebound, assist and a steal to his credit by the end of the night.
From The Bench