Tigers Pull Away From Allegheny To Keep Pace In NCAC Race

MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Wittenberg Tigers showed tremendous balance as 11 different players scored in a 61-43 victory over host Allegheny.

The win was Wittenberg's second straight on the road in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and it pulled the 18th-ranked Tigers within one of second-ranked Wooster atop the crowded league standings. Wooster, which dropped a 78-74 decision at DePauw, is 9-1 in the NCAC, followed closely by Wittenberg, DePauw and Ohio Wesleyan, all at 8-2.

Wittenberg led from start to finish, opening the game on a 11-4 run over the first six minutes and never looking back. The Tigers led 29-18 at halftime, and the Gators never got any close over the final 20 minutes, with Wittenberg expanding the lead to as many as 22 points in the late going.

The Tigers shot 41 percent from the field and won the rebounding battle by a 37-28 margin. Most importantly, Wittenberg committed a season-low six turnovers, and at the other end of the floor, the Tigers limited Allegheny to 37 percent shooting, including a 2-of-16 performance from three-point range.

Senior Scott Masin (New Carlisle, Ohio/Bethel), who scored a career-high 28 points in a win over Allegheny earlier in the 2013-14 season, led both teams with 13 points to go along with six rebounds and two steals. He was the only Wittenberg player in double figures.

Seniors Cole Bond (Canton, Ohio/St. Thomas Aquinas) and Zack Leahy (Rossford, Ohio/Rossford) added eight points apiece, while senior Steven Newell (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) and freshman Brock Kiesler (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) each contributed six points.

Kiesler and junior Ben Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) both finished with five rebounds in the game as well.