SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — After winning their first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season title since 2006, the Wittenberg Tigers took a first step toward the second of their season goals with a convincing 59-43 win over visiting Hiram.
The NCAC Tournament quarterfinal victory assured the Tigers, seeded No. 1 after posting a 15-1 record to win the regular season championship, of home court advantage for the semifinals and finals. The last time Wittenberg enjoyed hosting rights, however, fourth-seeded Kenyon dominated in a 52-37 semifinal victory in 2006. Those two teams will meet again at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 26, immediately following a semifinal match-up between second-seeded Ohio Wesleyan and third-seeded Denison, the last two NCAC Tournament champions.
This time Wittenberg takes an overall record of 18-7 into the semifinals after leading almost from start to finish. By halftime, the Tigers had built a 31-18 lead. They expanded that edge quickly, surging to a 25-point margin late in the game.
The final team statistics tell the tale, as Wittenberg shot 10 points better from the field and grabbed 13 more rebounds. Both teams did a fine job handling the basketball, combining for just 20 turnovers (10 apiece).
Individually, senior Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley) turned in a monster game, finishing with 15 points and 17 rebounds, both game-highs. SeniorCarrie Dyer (Copley, Ohio/Copley) added 13 points and three rebounds for the Tigers, who got scoring contributions from 10 of the 12 players who saw action in the game.
Hiram, seeded eighth in the tournament, ended its season at 4-21 overall and 3-13 in the NCAC.