Tigers Fall Short Against Preseason League Favorite OWU

DELAWARE, OH - A 15-0 run in the first quarter broke an early 6-6 tie and staked nationally ranked Ohio Wesleyan to a double-digit lead it would never relinquish, and the Battling Bishops maintained control from there en route to a 77-59 victory over the visiting Wittenberg Tigers.

The win pushed Ohio Wesleyan to 12-2 overall and, more importantly, 3-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Wittenberg dropped to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in the league.

The two teams shot similar percentages in the game, but the difference was 13 more attempts for the Battling Bishops, the preseason favorites in the NCAC after sharing the league title a year ago with Wittenberg and DePauw. OWU cashed in on those additional shot opportunities, making eight more shots from the field and three more free throws as the Bishops forced 26 Wittenberg turnovers, a season high for the Tigers, and also held a 33-29 rebounding advantage.

Individually, just one Tiger managed to score in double figures as Riane Burton (Houston, TX / Cypress Ranch) finished with 14 points. She also led in rebounds with eight.

Karley Moore (Tipp City, OH / Bethel) was next in scoring with eight points, and she also contributed four of the Tigers' five steals in the game. Karsen Karlblom (Crystal Lake, IL / Prairie Ridge) and Kelsey Ragan (Whitehouse, OH / Anthony Wayne) finished with seven points apiece, and Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, OH / Princeton) led the Tigers with six assists to go along with six rebounds, including three at the offensive end.

The path through the league schedule gets no easier for the Tigers as they next must take a trip to DePauw on Wednesday, January 15, for a 7 p.m. tip-off, followed by a home date with Oberlin at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 18.