Tigers Rally For Two-Point Win Over Denison

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - In desperate need of a victory, the Wittenberg Tigers got production from several unlikely sources in a key stretch of the second half to pull out a 59-57 victory over visiting Denison.

Freshman Mark Schult (Edgewood, Ky./Covington Catholic), who came into the game with just five minutes of varsity playing experience so far in his inaugural collegiate campaign, drained a pair of three-pointers to spark the re-ignite the Tigers' second-half comeback. The 9-0 burst was capped by a triple by sophomore Connor Hartnett (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) that gave the Tigers their first lead of the second half at the 10:55 mark.

Denison battled back, however, and the Big Red held a 55-53 lead with 4:25 remaining. Sophomore Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) had an answer, making an acrobatic lay-up with 2:58 remaining to tie the game, and then freshman Chad Roy (Toledo, Ohio/Holland Springfield) scored the go-ahead basket 35 seconds later.

Sophomore Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) capped Wittenberg's scoring with two free throws with two minutes left, but Denison managed just two points the rest of the way as a pair potentially game-winning three-pointers were off the mark for the Big Red.

Edwards led Wittenberg with a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds, in addition to three assists and two steals. Roy added 12 points, three rebounds and two blocked shots, while sophomore Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) contributed nine points, six boards and three assists.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Tigers, who improved to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). The Big Red fell to 6-3 overall and 2-2 in the league.

Written By: Ryan Maurer