Wooster, OH - One of the biggest rivalries in NCAA Division III college hoops reconvened on Saturday afternoon, as the Wittenberg men's basketball team faced-off against the College of Wooster Fighting Scots for the 120th time. In a hard-fought game, the No. 2 Tigers suffered the first loss of their 2019-20 campaign, falling to the No. 20 Scots 98-86 from the road. Wittenberg moves to 14-1 on the season 7-1 in NCAC action. This is the 24th time the Tigers and Scots have faced off against each other while both teams were ranked in the Top 25 of the D3Hoops.com poll. The Tigers knocked down 32 of their 65 shots from the floor, including 13 of 14 from the foul line. Wittenberg was unable to keep Wooster from dropping in 63 percent of their shots on their home floor. Rashaad Ali-Shakir led the Tiger offense with 18 points on the night, providing a streak of eight points in the first half as the Tigers tried to keep the Scots from escaping with the lead. Four fellow Tigers finished in double-figures on the evening, as Jake Bertemes and James Johnson each tallied 16 points apiece, while Connor Seipel and Landon Martin tabbed 10 each. Wittenberg won the battle on the boards 30-26, as the Red and White tallied 44 points in the paint. 

Game Breakdown

The two sides traded punches through the early going, the Tigers moved the ball around finding Martin for the knock-down three-pointer, giving Wittenberg the 7-6 advantage. After the Scots took a 24-12 advantage, Ali-Shakir provided a spark for the Tiger offense with three consecutive made buckets, bringing the Red and White back 26-19. The home side seemed unable to miss a shot in the first half, taking a 52-33 lead into the break. Wooster maintained the lead throughout the second half before a strand of made buckets by the Tigers brought Wittenberg back to within 11 points at 92-81 with under a minute to go in the game. Johnson tallied 10 points in the second half, pulling down three rebounds and adding a blocked shot to his stat line. 

UP NEXT

Wittenberg will wrap up the first half of their NCAC schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 18 hosting Ohio Wesleyan University at 7:30 PM from Pam Evans Smith Arena.