Wooster, Ohio – Paced by a 54-point showing in the first half, the Wittenberg University women's basketball team cruised to an 87-49 victory at Wooster on Saturday afternoon in Timken Gymnasium. The Tigers now enter the final week of the regular season with a 10-5 mark in NCAC play, which puts them right in the mix to land one of the coveted top four seeds in the 2019 NCAC Tournament. The final seeds and pairings for the conference tournament will be announced after the conclusion of all league contests on Saturday, February 16th.
How It Happened
The Tigers dominated the pace of play in the first half, leading 20-9 after the first 10 minutes and expanding their lead to 54-21 at halftime after outscoring the Scots by a 34-12 margin in the second quarter. Senior guard Alex Kiess led the Tigers in the first 20 minutes of action with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, which included pinpoint accuracy from downtown as she knocked down four of her six three-point attempts.
Wittenberg kept its foot on the peddle over the final 20 minutes of play, building its biggest lead of the day at 71-30 with 1:45 left in the third quarter following a jumper from junior forward Korynne Berner. The Tigers ultimately outscored Wooster by a 33-28 margin in the second half to secure the 87-49 road victory over the Scots.
By The Numbers
Five different players scored in double figures for the Tigers in the 38-point win, led by Kiess' 14 and three additional players with 13 points each. Among the players that hit the 13-point plateau for the Tigers, senior post Abigail Crum flirted with a double-double after also adding a team-leading seven rebounds. Senior guard Sydney Mayle also contributed across the board for the Tigers with 13 points, five assists and four rebounds, while sophomore guard Delaney Williams was the final player to hit the 13-point mark in the victory. Berner also scored in double figures with 10 points after shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field on the afternoon.
The Tigers performed well in every facet of the game against Wooster, shooting 49 percent (33-of-68) from the field, 48 percent (10-of-21) from beyond the arc and 79 percent (11-of-14) from the free throw line. Wittenberg also got a huge contribution from its bench players in the win as the Tigers bench outscored the Scots by a commanding 43-14 margin. In addition, the Tigers finished the game with 45 rebounds, 23 assists and eight total steals.
Up Next
The Tigers will wrap up the 2018-19 regular season campaign next Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. home game against Oberlin. Wittenberg will celebrate the careers of its five-member senior class prior to the tip off.