Wittenberg Tops Swarthmore In Defensive Battle To Open Season
The Wittenberg Tigers have led NCAA Division III in team defense each of the last two years. After one game of the 2006-07 season, the Tigers likely would find themselves near the top of that list again after a season-opening 57-46 victory over Swarthmore College in the Equinox Classic.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Wittenberg Tigers have led NCAA Division III in team defense each of the last two years. After one game of the 2006-07 season, the Tigers likely would find themselves near the top of that list again after a season-opening 57-46 victory over Swarthmore College in the Equinox Classic.
The Tigers, national runners-up a year ago, will take their 1-0 record into Saturday's game against Haverford College. That game will be played at Swarthmore, while Friday's game took place on Haverford's home floor.
The recipe for success in this game was a familiar one for Wittenberg fans. The Tigers shot a respectable 45 percent from the field, while Swarthmore was limited to just 28 percent shooting (17-of-60), including a 2-of-13 performance from three-point range. Wittenberg also won the battle of the boards by a healthy 48-36 margin.
Wittenberg pulled away after a close first half. After the Tigers led 26-25 at halftime, they pulled away in the final 10 minutes. Senior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) scored six points in each half, while garnering six of his game-high nine rebounds in the final 20 minutes.
Borchers got some help in the post from senior Sam Gregory (Gainesville, Fla./Oak Hall), who finished with a career-high 10 points off the bench. In addition, senior post Jack Hemenway (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) added seven points in his first career start.
On the perimeter, the key performance was supplied by senior wing Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights), who finished 3-of-5 on three-pointers and finished with 12 points to go along with six rebounds. Nine of the 10 players who saw action in the game for the Tigers found their way into the scoring column.