WOOSTER, Ohio - In the Wittenberg women's basketball team's North Coast Athletic Conference opener and the first of two matchups scheduled with the College of Wooster, the Tigers capitalized on a surge in the last 10 minutes to leave Timken Gymnasium with a 61-53 win. The Tigers moved to 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the NCAC with the victory.
Wittenberg led by as many as 15 points in the first half before the Fighting Scots closed the gap to six points entering halftime. Out of the break, Wooster continued the pressure, getting within three points before three unanswered jumpers pushed the lead back out to 10.
Wooster kept up the energy and managed to tie the game and then take a three-point lead with 10:41 to go in the contest. That's when the Tigers turned on the afterburners, scoring the next nine points thanks to some hard work by senior postStephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley). She started the run with a jumper in the paint, picked up two rebounds in the next 45 seconds, one at each end, and then capped the run with a layup.
The Tigers held as much as an 11-point lead in the remaining minutes, finishing the game with the final eight-point margin. Boardman posted 10 points in each half for 20 total on 8-for-14 from the field, and earned her first double-double of the season with 10 rebounds.
Also coming up big for the Tigers in the stretch run with four steals each were senior wing Elise Jenkins (Elida, Ohio/Elida) and junior wing Katherine Hueter (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard Darby). Jenkins matched a career high with 14 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point range, and chipped in eight rebounds. Hueter collected seven rebounds and shot 5-for-10 for 12 points to round out the Tigers in double figures.
As a team, the Tigers shot 34.4-percent from the field overall, but improved dramatically from their first half mark of 9-for-34 to 12-for-27 in the second period. Wittenberg held a 60-41 advantage in rebounds, helped by Wooster's 32.8-percent shooting. Each team hit four three-pointers, though Wittenberg attempted only 11 for 36.4-percent accuracy while Wooster was just 16.7-percent on 24 attempts.
The Tigers earned 30 shots from the free-throw line, sinking 15 of them to secure the game, whereas Wooster shot from the charity stripe just nine times for just five points.
The Tigers take a full week off before hitting the road again, traveling to Oberlin for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Written by: John Strawn '07