Tiger Women's Basketball Races Past Franciscan, 85-36

Zy'Aira Miller Wittenberg Basketball
Zy'Aira Miller was among 15 Tigers to score against Franciscan. | Photo by Pam Klopfer

Springfield, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers returned to action after a 10-day Christmas break and showed little rust in a thorough 85-36 victory over visiting Franciscan University.

The win, the Tigers' non-conference finale for the 2023-24 season, moved Wittenberg to 7-3 on the season. Franciscan, which had only seven players dressed for the game, dropped to 3-9.

Wittenberg scored the first eight points of the game, and by the end of the first quarter the Tigers had taken full control at 21-4. By game's end, 17 different players had seen at least five minutes of action in the game for Wittenberg, and 15 of them had found their way onto the scoresheet.

The Tigers dominated all facets of the game, shooting 47.9 percent from the floor to 22.8 percent for the Barons, and winning the rebounding battle 47-25. Individually, junior Kelsey Ragan (Whitehouse, Ohio/Anthony Wayne) led the way with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. Also scoring in double figures were junior Katie Whitaker (Pittsford, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) with 10 points and five rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench, and freshman Madi Barnett (Cincinnati, Ohio/Kings) with 10 points and four assists in 15 minutes off the bench.

Junior Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) led both teams with eight rebounds and six assists in 17 minutes of game play, and sophomore Riane Burton (Houston, Texas/Cypress Ranch) chipped in with nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 16 minutes on the floor.