Springfield, OH – The Wittenberg Men's Basketball team took down the Hiram College Terriers from the road, 79-72 in their North Coast Athletic Conference opener. With this win, Wittenberg Head Coach Matt Croci picked up his 100th career win at the helm of the Tiger men's basketball program. Coach Croci joins Wittenberg coaching legends, Ray Mears (121), Eldon Miller (142), Bobby Hamilton (119), Larry Hunter (305), and most recently the winningest coach in Wittenberg men's basketball history, Bill Brown (483). The Tigers kept it close through the first half, trailing by one at the beak, 35-34. Wittenberg finished with four players scoring in double-figures. Landon Martin and Levi Boettcher led the way with 18 points apiece. Martin converted on 7 of 13 attempts from the floor, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out eight assists. Boettcher knocked down 7 of 10 attempts from the field, including 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, adding four rebounds and two assists to his credit. Rashaad Ali-Shakir scored 9 of his 10 points from behind the three-point arc. Josh Tolliver provided 13 points off the bench for the Red and White, converting on 5 of 9 from the floor with two rebounds. As a team, the Tigers converted on 52 percent of their attempts from the floor, including 12 of 27 from deep range.
After the Terriers led most of the first half, the Tigers got their spark late in the half and heading into the final minutes of regulation. A three from James Johnson at the end of the first half ignited the 12-0 scoring run, helping Wittenberg take the 44-35 lead just two minutes into the half. The Tigers and Terriers traded buckets midway through the final 20-minutes, as Wittenberg held the 59-49 advantage with just under eight and a half minutes in regulation. A scoring flurry by Boettcher helped push the Tiger lead out to 71-56, as Boettcher posted 16 of his 18 points in the second-half.
NCAC LEADERS
Martin has moved into the top five scorers in the conference, averaging 18.4 points per game. Young holds down the second spot in FG%, converting on 61.8 percent of his attempts from the floor. Averaging 7.4 rebounds per game, Johnson ranks third in the NCAC.
UP NEXT
Wittenberg will return to action on Wednesday, December 8, hosting DePauw University at 7:00 PM. Rather than accepting payment for admission, fans are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Second Harvest Food Bank.