Tiger Women’s Basketball Posts 62-49 Victory Over Asbury on the Road

WILMORE, KY – Strong defensive play and dominance on the boards helped Wittenberg Women's Basketball post its fifth victory in a row on Tuesday, Dec. 3, defeating Asbury, 62-49, on the road at Luce Center Gym.

Senior forward Riane Burton (Houston, TX / Cypress Ranch) had a big night for the Tigers, leading the team in both points and rebounds. Burton, who has been slowed by injury this season, tossed in 13 points and grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds, 14 of which came at the defensive end. It was the first time Burton hit double digits in rebounding this year after reaching double figures eight times in the 2023-24 season, with a career-high of 20 against Hiram.

Even though they led for more than 27 minutes of the game, the Tigers had to overcome a slow start that allowed the Eagles to claim a 20-19 lead after the first quarter. Wittenberg quickly regrouped and stepped up its game, holding Asbury to just six points in the second quarter and outscoring the Eagles, 14-6, to take a 33-26 lead at the half.

After 12 lead changes in the first half, Wittenberg took the lead for good at the 5:28 mark of the second quarter on a three-pointer by Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, OH / Princeton) to go up 26-25. Asbury tied it at 26-all on a free throw before Wittenberg went on a 7-0 run and never looked back. Asbury, which didn't score again until the 9:35 mark of the third quarter, cut the lead to three points with 3:04 remaining in the third at 44-41. However, Wittenberg held off the Eagles with the last basket of the third quarter and then poured it on in the final frame, outscoring the Eagles, 16-8.

With the win, the Tigers improve to 5-1 overall heading into North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) competition Thursday, Dec. 5, when they host Kenyon at 7 p.m.

Despite turning the ball over 21 times, Wittenberg turned in good team stats with 47 rebounds, 10 assists, 11 points off the bench, five steals, and 30 points in the paint. The Tigers were 24-of-54 (44.4%) from the field, seven-of-22 (31.8%) from three-point range, and seven-of-11 (63.6%) from the charity stripe.

Four Tigers scored in double figures, including Burton. Jazmyn Gaines-Burns (Bladensburg, MD / Elizabeth Seton) had 12 on the night, and Karsen Karlblom (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge) and Kelsey Ragan  (Whitehouse, OH / Anthony Wayne) each tossed in 11. Ragan had three assists and Cash had three steals.

Asbury was led by Haleigh Releford in scoring with 13 points and Camryn Poole added 12. Ma'Kiya West had a team-high eight rebounds.

Asbury, which is in its first year as an official member of NCAA Division III after transitioning from NAIA, drops to 2-4 on the season. This is Wittenberg's second win over Asbury after the two teams met on Dec. 22, 2021, with the Tigers winning that meeting, 67-61.