WOOSTER, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers dropped their second straight North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) road game, this time to hot-shooting Wooster, 75-67, to fall into the middle of a crowded conference pack.
Another double-double from junior post Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) and sharp-shooting from freshman post Sarah Watson (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) could not overcome the Scots, who parlayed 53 percent shooting into just their second win over Wittenberg in the last 12 years. The loss dropped Wittenberg to 11-7 overall and 6-4 in the NCAC, while Wooster improved to 7-11 overall and 5-4 in the conference.
In their second road game in three days, Wittenberg got its offense untacked early, jumping to a 19-11 lead. From there, however, the Scots methodically chipped away, eventually claiming a 40-36 halftime lead. In the second half, the duo of Wooster juniors Kym Wenz and Kaitlin Krister, who combined for 47 points, stymied every Tiger run, even after Wittenberg took a two-point lead with 12:34 remaining on a jumper by sophomore wing Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby).
Despite another dominating rebounding effort, the Tigers could make little out of their 41-27 edge on the glass. Boardman landed 17 points and 11 boards to lead the Red and White in both categories, while Watson made all four of her three-point attempts en route to 14 points, just shy of a career high. Hueter was also in double figures offensively with 12 points. Also of note was the play of freshman guard Allie Leopard (Urbana, Ohio/Urbana), who dished out six assists and made a steal.
The Tigers now fall into a muddied pack in the middle of the NCAC. An upcoming three-game homestand has Head Coach Sarah Jurewicz optimistic about a turnaround, beginning with a duel against the Ladies of Kenyon College, who topped the Tigers earlier this season 45-44 in Gambier. This meeting comes from Wittenberg's Pam Evans Smith Arena, with a tip time slated for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3.
Written By: Ben Bradley, SID Assistant