Springfield, OH- The No. 3 Tigers advanced to the Kiwanis Holiday Classic Championship after beating the Soaring Eagles of Elmira with a score of 81-51. Wittenberg took on Ohio Northern in Pam Evans Smith Arena and looked to improve their 9-0 record to an undefeated 10-0. With a 77 to 69 score Wittenberg did just that and dominated the Kiwanis Holiday Classic.
Both the Polar Bears and Tigers started with aggressive defense and keeping the game tied for the first five minutes of play, an uncommon situation for the No. 3 Wittenberg team. With twelve minutes left in the first half, Wittenberg started to get the ball moving and added a small four point lead. Tigers were able to put up 43 points to give them an 18 point lead going into the half. Jake Bertemes led Wittenberg offense with 14 points while Connor Seipel held onto the ball to pick up 8 rebounds. The Tigers led in field goal percentage with 54.8% compared to the Polar Bears 28.1% and led in free throw percentage with 66.7% compared to 26.7%.
Ohio Northern picked up the pace in the second half, putting up 11 points compared to the eight that the Tigers got in the first five minutes, but Wittenberg held onto their lead. A more meticulous Wittenberg team took less shots but were more accurate to give them a 50.9% in field goals and a close seven point lead over the Polar Bears to continue their undefeated season with a 77-69 score.
Key Players: Jake Bertemes led the Tigers in points for the night, putting up twenty-two points and six assists while Seipel led in rebounds, totaling ten.
NCAC Leaders: Seipel is currently first in the NCAC for rebounds per game with 11.3, first for field goal percentage with an average of 71.3, and fifth in the NCAC for points per game with an average of 17.9. James Johnson joins Seipel in the top five for 3PT%, landing in second with 56.1% and tied for fourth in blocks with 11.
Up Next: The Tigers will be back after the New Year on January 4th in a home matchup against Kenyon College. Tip off will be at 2 PM in Pam Evans Smith Arena.