Springfield, OH- For the 121st time, the Wittenberg University and the College of Wooster men's basketball teams faced-off on the hardwood on Saturday evening from Pam Evans Smith Arena. The No. 5 Tigers took the 88-81 win from the Scots on the night, avenging their only loss of the season, falling to Wooster from the road earlier in the season. With this win, the Tigers claim their 13th North Coast Athletic Conference regular-season title in program history. There was much more to celebrate on the night, as the Wittenberg men's basketball team celebrated Champions Day, welcoming back six championship teams that captured OAC and NCAC regular season and tournament titles.
Pam Evans Smith Arena was full of friends, family, fans, and alumni. One notable alum that was honored before the game was Steve Moore, class of 1974. Moore is the current head coach for the College of Wooster but before that, he was a Tiger from the sidelines from 1976-1978. While coaching for Wittenberg, Moore helped guide the Tigers to a 119-24 record alongside legendary head coach Larry Hunter.
The excitement between these two Division III powers continued into the final moments, as senior Jake Bertemes joined the prestigious Wittenberg men's basketball 1,000-point scoring club. Bertemes needed 19 points heading into the game, hitting the milestone with a made free-throw with just 1:11 left in the game. Three Tigers finished scoring in double-digits on the night, led by James Johnson posting a career-high 31-points, knocking down 11 of 18 from the floor, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc. Johnson finished with his fourth double-double of the season, adding 10 rebounds and two assists with a blocked shot on the night.
Game Breakdown- Wooster started off the game with the tip-off but Bertemes found himself with a steal and a fastbreak layup to kickstart the Tiger scoring. At 11:52 Johnson knocked down the first triple for the Red and White, giving Wittenberg the 15-11 advantage. The Tigers kept their foot on the gas, taking a 35-30 lead into the break. Johnson took 13 points into the break with seven rebounds. Bertemes and Connor Seipel added eight points apiece for the Red and White at the half.
Coming into the second half, Jordan Pumroy found a groove behind the three-point line, knocking down two threes. The Tigers jumped out early, snagging a 10-point lead in the first five minutes of the half. Bertemes added 15 points to his total down the stretch, dishing out four assists with a steal. Pumroy grabbed four rebounds in the second half, including diving on a loose ball between four Scots in the final moments of the action. Wittenberg knocked down 19 of 33 from the floor in the second half, including 4 of 9 from beyond the arc.
Up Next- On Wed. the Tigers head to Crawfordsville, IN to face the Little Giants of Wabash College before returning home for Senior Night on Feb. 22nd to host Hiram College at 3 p.m.