Tigers Come Out on Top in Overtime Thriller Over Wooster

GAME BREAKDOWN

• The first half was action packed Saturday night, as the Tigers took a 34-33 lead into halftime.
• The Tigers fed the ball to their big-man, Chad Roy (Toledo, Ohio/Holland Springfield) early and often in the first-half, as he netted an easy 11 points.
• Early in the second half, behind another offensive outpour from Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee), the Tigers pulled away by as many as 10 points, 46-36.
• Wittenberg led by 9 with six minutes remaining, but as history began to repeat itself, Wooster fought all the way back to 63-61 with 3:30 remaining in regulation.
• As time continued to tick down with Wittenberg holding on to a narrow lead, the Tigers found themselves up 68-65 after a Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio / Perrysburg) free throw with 25 seconds remaining.
• The Tigers could not hold on to their lead down the stretch, as Wooster tied the game up 69-69 with two seconds remaining.
• In overtime, Wittenberg struck first, leading 71-69 after Williams nailed two free throws.
• Wooster went on a run to regain the lead 74-71 with two minutes remaining in overtime, before senior guard Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) put the team on his back.
• Phillippi managed five points in less than a minute's time for the Tiger, putting the team ahead 78-74.
• Wooster stopped the Tiger run by splashing a three of their own to cut the lead to 78-77, but on the next Tiger trip down the floor, Phillippi managed to draw another clutch foul and get back to the charity stripe, resulting in two made free throws.
• Landon Hormann (West Liberty, Ohio / Salem) sealed the deal for the Tigers on a fastbreak layup, putting the Tigers up 82-77 at the end of regulation.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Tigers snap an eight game losing streak against the Fighting Scots and move the all time series to 56-55, in favor of Wooster.
• The last time the Tigers beat Wooster was in 2012.
• Phillippi was held scoreless in the first half, but came up with 16 points in the second half and 6-7 clutch free throw down the stretch.

KEY STATS

• Roy led the way for Wittenberg with 19 points, while Williams chipped in 17 and Phillippi 16.
• Edwards secured seven rebounds, helping the Tigers edge out Wooster on the glass 41-39.
• Saturday's renewed rivalry featured five ties and two lead changes the finished with the Tigers coming out of overtime on-top, 82-77.

FROM THE BENCH

• "Wooster didn't shoot the three nearly as well as we've seen in the past 10 years… We adjusted to ball screens and went over the top of their three-point shooters very well…We are very happy as the law of averages was on our side tonight," said Head Coach Brown.

UP NEXT

• The Tigers return to action this Wednesday as they travel to Kenyon College to continue their NCAC schedule.

Written By: Kuris Duggan