Fast Start Carries Tigers To Big Win At Denison
Tigers shoot blistering 66.1 percent, the team's best in nearly 13 years, en route to 97-69 victory over host Big Red.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
48 | 49 | 97 |
|
|
24 | 45 | 69 |
Team Stats
Denison
| Game Statistics | Wittenberg | Denison |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (37-56) | (25-57) |
| Field Goal % | 66.1% | 43.9% |
| Rebounds | 35 | 21 |
| Assists | 19 | 14 |
| Turnovers | 10 | 9 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 15 | 15 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 10 | 12 |
| Pts in the Paint | 48 | 28 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 10 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 35 | 13 |
GRANVILLE, Ohio - Livingston Gymnasium isn't located on the Wittenberg University campus, but the visiting Tigers made themselves right at home in a 97-69 victory over the Denison Big Red.
Wittenberg's offense was firing on all cylinders from start to finish against the Big Red as the Tigers knocked down 37-of-56 shots from the field. Wittenberg's 66.1 percent shooting was the program's best since February 2001 and a victory at Earlham.
Not only did the Tigers find their shooting touch, but Wittenberg dominated the rebounding battle by a 35-21 margin. The win moved Wittenberg to 7-1 overall and 4-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), heading into a seven-day break during finals week. Denison fell to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in the league.
The win was Wittenberg's 15th in the 16 games against Denison and improved the Tigers' all-time edge in the series to 124-27. The Big Red have beaten Wittenberg just three times since the Tigers joined the NCAC in 1989.
Wittenberg jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the first four minutes and expanded that advantage to 48-24 by the end of the first half. Over the final 20 minutes, Denison was unable to draw any closer, although the Big Red did manage to nearly double its point total from the first half.
Individually, Wittenberg was led by senior Scott Masin (New Carlisle, Ohio/Bethel) with 21 points, while junior Sam Collins (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) added 19 points. The two players combined to successfully convert all 15 of their field goals, with three of Collins' baskets coming from three-point range. Collins added 2-of-2 from the free throw line, while Masin finished 5-of-7.
Senior Zack Leahy (Rossford, Ohio/Rossford) was outstanding as well, finishing with 16 points to go along with a career-high nine assists. Also of note was the play of freshman Brock Kiesler (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) with nine points and nine rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench and senior Justin McDowell (Gahanna, Ohio/Lincoln) with eight points, three assists and two steals.