Springfield, Ohio – The Wittenberg University men's basketball team took down their second straight Top-25 opponent on Wednesday night, defeating No. 24 Wabash College, 76-62. The Tigers opened the night by sending off their lone senior, Mitchell Balser. Joining the Red and White at the start of his junior year after two years at NCAC rival Wooster, Balser was an immediate impact player for the Tigers. After scoring his first 446 collegiate points in a Wooster uniform, Balser has joined the 1,000-point scoring club and joined over 30 great Tigers with 1,000-plus points in their career.  As he currently stands with 1,106 points after the Red and White took down Wabash on Wednesday evening, finishing the night with 14 points on 4 of 9 from the floor and 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. With this win, Wittenberg moves to 19-5 on the season and 13-4 in NCAC action.

Game Breakdown

Wittenberg opened the scoring, as the two sides battled back and forth trading buckets throughout the opening minutes. The Tigers began to extend their advantage at the 12-minute mark in the first half to 16-9, as Landon Martin knocked down a three-pointer followed by a lay-up. Jordan Pumroy hit two three-pointers' in two minutes for the Tigers coming down the stretch, scoring 6 of his 11 first-half points. Taking a 39-30 lead into the half, Wittenberg converted on 13 of 27 from the floor in the first half, knocking down 7 of 9 from deep range. The Tigers kept it rolling in the second half, as James Johnson led the way with 12 points, shooting 3 of 8 from the floor and converting on 5 of 5 attempts from the free throw line. Wittenberg outscored Wabash 37-32 in the second half, converting on 41 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the floor.

Who Stood Out

The Tigers finished with five players scoring in double figures on the night, with Pumroy leading the way with 16 points, adding eight rebounds, two assists and two steals. Balser added four rebounds and two steals to his 14-point night. Johnson and Martin each tallied 12 points on the evening. Johnson added five rebounds, two assists and a steal. Martin finished off the night with four rebounds. Jacob Bertemes went 5 of 10 from the floor for 11 points, finishing with three rebounds and two steals.

From The Bench

UP NEXT

Wittenberg will wrap up regular season action on Saturday, Feb. 16 at 2:00 PM from Hiram College.