Granville, Ohio - The Wittenberg women's basketball team turned the page to 2024 with a performance that mirrored the winning ways of 2023. The Tigers were balanced on offense and stingy on defense en route to a wire-to-wire victory over North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) rival Denison, 58-44.

Wittenberg improved to 8-3 overall, while Denison fell to 9-3. The game was the NCAC opener for both teams.

Jazmyn Gaines-Burns (Bladensburg, MD/Elizabeth Seton) led the way for Wittenberg with 14 points, followed closely by Riane Burton (Houston, TX/Cypress Ranch) with 12 points and seven rebounds. Also of note, Katie Whitaker (Pittsford, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) contributed 11 points, and Jade Simpson (Edgewood, KY/Holy Cross) chipped in with six points and a game-high 11 rebounds.

Wittenberg shot 40.7 percent from the field, compared to 28 percent for the Big Red. In particular, Denison struggled from three-point range, making just three of 22 attempts. The Tigers were also dominant on the boards, finishing with a 43-30 advantage.

The win kicked off a three-game stretch to open NCAC play that will be key to the Tigers' hopes of defending their 2023 league title. The Tigers are back home for a game against Kenyon at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 6, followed by a showdown with perennial powerhouse DePauw at 5 p.m. Wednesday, January 10, also at Pam Evans Smith Arena.