SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tiger women pulled out their second big win against conference preseason favorite Denison and completed the season sweep, stepping into shared ownership of second place in the conference on the strength of a 65-55 win over the Big Red.
Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) led the charge, dropping 19 points and pulling down seven rebounds. This marks the eighth time Boardman has scored in double digits, and her career second-best performance. She scored 24 points against Earlham in her number one outing.
Behind Boardman came Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), who totaled 14 on the night, while leading the team in rebounds with seven. The Big Red managed to keep her quiet through the first half, holding the Tigers' leading scorer to four in the period. But Gregorevich knocked down 10 points in the second half, and the game itself played out in much the same way.
Wittenberg held just a one point advantage over the Big Red at halftime, overcoming a nine point deficit with 6:42 left in the first. But after the break, the Tigers slowly built a lead which grew to 12 after 12 minutes of play. Using a massive 39-27 rebounding advantage, excellent post play, and solid 45% shooting, the Red & White effectively eliminated Denison's height advantage.Wittenberg also capitalized on four steals each from Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby) and Kristin Donawerth (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison).
The Tigers face a big week ahead, taking on the rival College of Wooster Fighting Scots at home Saturday at 2 p.m., following the dedication of Pam Evans Smith Arena at noon, and traveling to conference leader Kenyon College on Tuesday. The Tigers fell 60-70 to the Ladies of Kenyon at home on Jan. 16, and hope to even the score when they hit the road.
Written by: John Strawn