SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — It would be a bit of a stretch to say that the Wittenberg Tigers are finally hitting on all cylinders, but after a second straight 30-point North Coast Athletic Conference victory, this time at home over Earlham, 70-40, it is fair to say that they have some momentum for the first time in 2006-07.
Wittenberg upped its mark to 8-6 overall on the season, including a 5-1 record in the NCAC. The win was the Tigers' third straight, while Earlham slipped to 2-13 overall and 1-5 in the conference. The Tigers have a well-earned week away from game action before a key NCAC showdown with Denison on Jan. 17 in the HPER Center. That game will be broadcast live on the internet.
The Tigers went wire-to-wire in this one, slowly building on the lead throughout the game. After a brief 2-2 tie early in the game, Wittenberg pushed the lead to 10 points with 8:22 left in the first half on a jumper by senior wing Rachel Clark-Haggy (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and 35-21 by halftime, thanks to seven straight points in the final 3:20, capped by a lay-up by freshman guard Victoria Leali (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson).
The second half was largely anti-climactic as both teams eventually emptied their benches. The Tigers shot a solid 40 percent from the field in the game, compared to 33 percent for Earlham, including a 7-of-26 performance in the second half. Wittenberg held a huge edge in rebounds at 48-35, including a whopping 20-10 margin in offensive caroms. Another key factor in the game was turnovers as Wittenberg committed 14 while forcing the Quakers into 23 miscues.
Individually, the Tigers were paced by senior wing Gina Carney (Lexington, Ky./Catholic), who continued to provide a spark off the bench with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and a pair of successful free throws. Junior post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and senior post Kathy Hittle (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) added 12 points apiece, while Rohlfs led with 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the season and Hittle was team-high with four steals.
Earlham was led by Starr Gray with 18 points.