Wittenberg crushes Earlham as B.J. Harris goes over 1,000 points for his career
The Wittenberg University Tigers aren't used to losing. As is so often the case, following a loss the Tigers made a significant statement, crushing the visiting Earlham Quakers, 82-46, just four days after losing at archrival Wooster.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Tigers aren't used to losing. As is so often the case, following a loss the Tigers made a significant statement, crushing the visiting Earlham Quakers, 82-46, just four days after losing at archrival Wooster.
The win improved Wittenberg to 13-4 overall and 8-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, and it kept the Tigers right on the heels of Wooster in the conference standings. By virtue of Wabash's loss at Ohio Wesleyan tonight, the Tigers are alone in second place in the NCAC standings as the back half of the annual double round robin format regular season begins.
This game was never a contest as Wittenberg sprinted out to a 15-3 lead in the first five minutes of the game. By halftime, the Tigers owned a commanding 40-22 advantage, and that lead only grew in the final 20 minutes. All 14 players in uniform for the Tigers saw at least three minutes of action, and 11 of them scored at least two points.
Four Tiger players finished in double figures in scoring in the game. Junior forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) led all scorers with 13 points off the bench on 6-of-6 shooting from the field. Sophomore guard Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) poured in a career-high 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including three straight first-half three-pointers. And three starters wound up with 10 points, sophomore forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle), senior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) and senior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins).
For Harris, those 10 points were extra meaningful as he went over the 1,000-point plateau for his career. He became the 25th player in Wittenberg history to score more than 1,000 points in his career and the first since Ryan Taylor crossed the threshold in the 2000-01 season.
As a team, Wittenberg won the rebounding battle 37-22 and made 30 of its 53 attempts from the field, good for a 56.6 shooting percentage. In addition, the Tigers hit 56 percent from three-point range and 93 percent (13-of-14) from the free throw line.
Next up for the Tigers is a road trip on Saturday to Meadville, Pa. and a date with the much-improved Allegheny Gators. Wittenberg won the first meeting between the two teams on Dec. 7 in Springfield by a narrow 70-66 margin.