Tigers Maul Visiting Little Giants

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers took another important step toward their season-long goals Wednesday, burying a cold-shooting Wabash Little Giants team, 84-46, in the HPER Center. The win allowed Wittenberg to maintain a one-game lead on Wooster in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings.

Wittenberg's second straight win this season and seventh in the last eight meetings with the Little Giants improved the Tigers to 17-3 overall and 11-0 in the NCAC. Wabash dropped to 8-12 overall and 6-5 in the NCAC as the Little Giants battle for the fourth and final first-round home game in the NCAC Tournament. Wabash has never won a game in Springfield and trails the overall series, 18-5. Wittenberg has won 13 straight games since a Dec. 10 loss to nationally ranked Otterbein.

Wabash held three leads early in the first half before Wittenberg went on a 14-2 run to claim the lead for good. Trailing 26-16 at the 6:02 mark of the opening stanza, Wabash's Matt Storm briefly stemmed the tide with a lay-up, but Wittenberg responded with another 11-0 run to open up an insurmountable 19-point lead. The Tigers led 41-22 at halftime, thanks in part to just two turnovers and six three-pointers. In the second half, Wittenberg opened on a 7-0 run and eventually widened the lead to the final of 38 points.

Wittenberg easily won the battle of the boards, claiming a 51-35 rebounding advantage, and the Tigers' defense stifled the young Little Giants into 28 percent shooting from the field, including a 4-of-16 performance from three-point range. For the game, Wabash committed 20 turnovers to just 12 for Wittenberg.

The Tigers got 16 points, 11 rebounds and three assists from sophomore sensation Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading), good for game-highs in the first two categories. Senior forward Peter Walker (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier) added 15 points, four rebounds and two assists in another fine all-around game. Senior guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) chipped in with nine points on a trio of three-pointers and junior point guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) finished with five points and five assists in just 17 minutes of action. For the fourth time in the last six games, Brywczynski finished without a turnover.

Wabash was paced by Storm's nine points and six rebounds. Adonis Joseph and Kyle Coffey chipped in with eight points apiece.