Delaware, OH - The No. 5 Wittenberg University basketball team traveled to Ohio Wesleyan on Wednesday evening, defeating the Battling Bishops, 77-61. The Tigers overcame an early Ohio Wesleyan lead out the gate, battling back from down 20-8 to capture a 36-31 advantage at the half. Wittenberg finished with four Tigers tallying double-figures on the night, led by Jake Bertemes with 20 points, adding three takeaways to his total. James Johnson kick-started the Tiger scoring effort, posting 15 of his 17 total points in the first half on his way to his third double-double of the season. Johnson converted on 6 of 9 from the floor, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, reeling in 10 rebounds. Connor Seipel tabbed his 11th double-double of the season, posting 14 points with 12 rebounds. Landon Martin was the final double-figure Tiger scorer, finishing with 19 points, knocking down 8 of 13 from the floor, adding three rebounds a block and a steal to his credit. 

Game Breakdown

Wittenberg started off the game slow, trailing the Battling Bishops 20-8, as turnovers and missed jump shots did not fortune the Tigers favor. The Tigers fought back in dominating the rebounding game, going on a 26-8 run to take the lead 26-25 with just over three minutes. The Tigers led 36-31 at the half, converting on 40 percent from the floor, recording assists on 8 of 15 made baskets through the first 20-minutes. 

The Tigers came out strong in the second half, forcing turnovers and scoring 14 points off of Battling Bishop errors. Wittenberg jumped out to their largest lead of the game, holding a 19 advantage over Ohio Wesleyan. Wittenberg overcame another struggle in the second half, knocking down just one three, outscoring Ohio Wesleyan 41-30 down the stretch. Wittenberg would close out the night converting 16 of 30 from the floor while knocking down 8 of 11 attempts from the foul line.

From The Bench

"Another really good road win for us. We didn't panic being down early - got some stops, executed better offensively and things went our way," said Head Coach Matt Croci.

UP NEXT

Wittenberg will return to Pam Evans Smith Arena on Saturday, Feb. 15 to celebrate Champions Night as the take on the College of Wooster Fighting Scots for the 121st time. Tip-off against the Scots is set for 7:00 PM.