Tigers Fall To Wabash In 2014-15 Home Opener
Jaelin Williams leads with 18 points, but late shots won't fall for Tigers in 52-50 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) loss.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
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29 | 23 | 52 |
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27 | 23 | 50 |
Team Stats
Wabash
| Game Statistics | Wabash | Wittenberg |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (18-44) | (17-53) |
| Field Goal % | 40.9% | 32.1% |
| Rebounds | 30 | 36 |
| Assists | 11 | 8 |
| Turnovers | 13 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 12 | 17 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 10 |
| Pts in the Paint | 20 | 22 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 4 |
| Bench Pts | 5 | 9 |
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - After three weeks on the road, the Wittenberg Tigers were hoping for a fresh start in their 2014-15 home opener. However, the Tigers shot just 32 percent against a stingy Wabash zone in a 52-50 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) loss.
Wittenberg dropped to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the NCAC, heading into another long road trip to Allegheny on Saturday, Dec. 6. Wabash improved to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the league with its first win in Springfield since 2010, snapping a four-game home winning streak for the Tigers in the series.
The Tigers held the lead for most of the game's first 15 minutes before Wabash took the lead at the 4:38 mark of the first half on a three-pointer by Austin Burton. The Little Giants took a slim two-point advantage into the locker room and maintained the lead until a three-pointer by sophomore Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) appeared to swing the momentum back in the Tigers favor.
Edwards' basket and a free throw two minutes later capped a 14-2 Wittenberg run and staked the Tigers to a 45-42 advantage with 6:48 remaining. Wabash battled back again, however, putting together a 7-1 run over the next three minutes to take the lead again. Sophomore Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) brought the Tigers back within one on a jumper at the 2:01 mark, but his jumper from the top of the key with 25 seconds rimmed out, and an Edwards three-pointer with 11 seconds left did the same, allowing the Little Giants to secure the victory with three free throws in the final 25 seconds.
Williams led Wittenberg with 18 points to go along with six rebounds and two steals. Edwards added 12 points and five boards, and freshman Chad Roy (Toledo, Ohio/Holland Springfield) chipped in with seven points and six rebounds.
Wabash shot 41 percent from the field, including a 5-of-13 performance from three-point range, compared to 32 percent overall and 2-of-19 from distance for Wittenberg. The Tigers held a 36-30 rebounding advantage in the game.
Written By: Ryan Maurer