HIRAM, OH – Scoring more than 50 percent of their points in the paint, the Wittenberg Tigers claimed their first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) victory of the season on the road over Hiram, 77-63, on Saturday, Dec. 14, at Price Gymnasium.

Senior guard Trey Killens (Cincinnati, OH / Mason) poured in 21 points to go along three assists and a steal on the afternoon to lead the Tigers. Eddie Brown (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange) added 16 points and pulled down six rebounds, while Dawson Scott (New Castle, IN / New Castle) also hit double digits in scoring with 13 points and led the team in rebounds with seven. The win evens Wittenberg's record at 4-4 overall and 1-1 in the NCAC.

Down by nine at the 12:51 mark of the first half, the Tigers clawed their way back into the game with a 17-8 run to tie things at 27-all with 7:24 remaining. Wittenberg then outscored the Terriers 10-2 to take control of the game, leading to a 43-32 advantage by the intermission after a buzzer-beating layup by Killens. The Tigers never looked back after the half, outscoring Hiram, 34-31, to seal the victory.

Wittenberg capitalized on Hiram's 15 turnovers, scoring 16 points off the mishandles. The Tigers also had 20 second-chance points to just two for Hiram and outrebounded the Terriers 43-31. There were four ties and 12 lead changes in the game. Wittenberg, which led most of the game, enjoyed its largest lead with 4:36 left in the second half at 70-54.

The Tigers shot 29-of-67 from the field for 43.1 percent and 18-of-26 from the free-throw line to Hiram's 22-for-51 for 43.1 percent from the field and 17-for-22 from the line. The Terriers had two three-pointers, while Wittenberg landed just one in 10 attempts.

Wittenberg, which held a commanding 43-31 rebounding advantage in the game, has won 10 of its last 11 against Hiram and leads the overall series, 72-14, since the first meeting in 1950.

Three players scored in double digits for Hiram with Trent Jakacki tossing in 19, Mitchell Wiechecki adding 16, and Collin Jones 13. Jakacki and Wiechecki each had six rebounds to lead the team. The Terriers also tallied a season-high 10 blocks. Hiram drops to 3-6 overall and 0-3 NCAC.

Next up, Wittenberg will host Heidelberg on Friday, Dec. 20, with tipoff beginning at 7 p.m. The Student Princes are led by former Tiger men's basketball standout Andy Bucheit '05, who has been at the helm of the program since 2013.