SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Facing a 15-4 first half deficit, the Wittenberg Tigers responded like champions Saturday against the visiting College of Wooster Fighting Scots. The Tigers scored 18 straight points and eventually eased their way to a 36-25 halftime lead. While Wooster threatened at several points in the final 20 minutes, the game was never really in doubt as the Tigers then coasted home to a 76-56 victory.

The win improved Wittenberg to 8-0 in the NCAC and 13-4 overall at the midway point of the 2002-03 conference championship race. The defending NCAC regular season champion, Wittenberg leads this year's race by two games heading into a game next Saturday, Feb. 1, at second-place Ohio Wesleyan.

The Tigers got season-highs on the offensive end from senior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and senior centerRebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline). Keller finished with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the floor and 5-of-6 from the foul line. Meers added 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Both were among five players to gather in three rebounds in the game, the unusually low high rebounding total for the Tigers.

Also finishing in double figures was senior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) with 10 points. She also added four assists and six steals. For the game, Wittenberg shot 50 percent from the field as a team and forced 32 Wooster turnovers, while committing just 20 of their own. The Tigers were outrebounded 43-31, however, and yielded a whopping 17 offensive caroms to their visitors.