Wittenberg Sprints Past Allegheny In NCAC Opener

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers have a menacing look about them right now, especially for teams that are perimeter oriented. In the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams, the Tigers overwhelmed visiting Allegheny College, 83-54, while dominating nearly every facet of the game.

The win improved the nationally ranked Tigers to 4-1 overall on the 2004-05 season, while Allegheny fell to 2-4. Despite several close calls in recent years, Wittenberg hasn't dropped a home game to Allegheny since the 1998 NCAC Tournament semifinals and hasn't lost an NCAC regular season home game to the Gators since early in the 1992-93 season. On Saturday, it wasn't one of those close calls as the taller, more experienced Tigers showed great depth, range and versatility in the 29-point win.

After Allegheny scored the game's first two points, Wittenberg answered with an 11-point run as Allegheny went more than eight minutes between baskets. The lead stretched from there as Wittenberg went on a 15-4 run to open a stunning 26-8 gap at the 4:39 mark of the first half. By the intermission, Wittenberg led 36-14 as the Gators made just 6-of-25 shots from the field, compared to 50 percent for the host team, and the Tigers held a commanding 24-13 rebounding advantage.

The second half was more of the same, although the Gators did utilize a full-court press that bothered the Tigers and allowed Allegheny to close to within 20 points on several occasions. However, Wittenberg continued to do the job on the glass and shot even better in the final 20 minutes, making 16-of-25 shots from the floor and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.

Junior post Dane Borchers led all scorers in the game with a career-high 20 points, to go along with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Junior post Daniel Russ was just as impressive, dropping in 13 points, including three dunks, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Also reaching double figures was sophomore wing Brandan Barabino, who scored 11 points in just five minutes of action off the bench. Eleven of the 13 Tigers players who saw action in the game scored at least two points.

Allegheny shot 48 percent from the field in the second half, but the Gators, who started three freshmen in the game, were outrebounded 38-25 and were forced to rely almost solely on the post play of Matt Majzlik, who had 17 points, for their offense. Guard Casey McCloskey fought his way through a 4-of-14 shooting night to finish with nine points.

Next up for the Tigers is a game that has become a fun regional rivalry in recent years. The Cedarville Yellow Jackets, a team Wittenberg once pushed around with ease, will visit the HPER Center seeking a third straight win over the Tigers. Ranked fourth in the nation in NAIA Division II, Cedarville won two years ago on a buzzer beater against the Tigers and then duplicated that feat on the its home court in 2003. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 8.