Tigers Gain Season Sweep Of Kenyon; Inch Closer To Top Four
Five-point road win keeps Wittenberg in contention for coveted top-four position in league standings and NCAC Tournament home game that goes with it.
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
31 | 49 | 80 |
|
|
26 | 49 | 75 |
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Wittenberg | Kenyon |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (25-53) | (31-68) |
| Field Goal % | 47.2% | 45.6% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 30 |
| Assists | 8 | 15 |
| Turnovers | 12 | 8 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 9 | 13 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 15 | 9 |
| Pts in the Paint | 32 | 34 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 2 | 6 |
| Bench Pts | 27 | 38 |
GAMBIER, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers have struggled to close out games throughout the 2014-15 season. However, the Tigers did just that against the Kenyon Lords, overcoming a rally by the host team to pull away down the stretch and secure an 80-75 victory.
The win was Wittenberg's third in the last four games, moving the Tigers to 10-14 overall and, more importantly, 8-9 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Combined with DePauw's loss to Wabash and Denison's loss to Hiram, Wittenberg's win over Kenyon kept the Tigers in contention for a top-four position in the league standings.
Wittenberg is in fifth place in the NCAC standings with one game remaining, at home on Senior Recognition Day against last-place Hiram. The Tigers are one game behind DePauw, which plays first-place Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday. Wittenberg holds the tiebreaker if the two teams end up in a tie at season's end thanks to a season sweep of DePauw.
After taking a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime, Wittenberg stretched the lead to as many as 14 points before Kenyon rallied. The Lords put together a 15-0 that turned a 51-37 Wittenberg lead into a 52-51 Kenyon advantage with 8:52.
The Tigers had a response, starting with a three-pointer by sophomore Cody Phillippi (Xenia, Ohio/Xenia) that jumpstarted an 18-8 Wittenberg run. After Kenyon closed within 76-75 with 33 seconds left, the Tigers once again answered, this time with 5-of-8 free throws and a stout defensive effort that led to seven straight Kenyon misses.
Phillippi led Wittenberg with 20 points, while sophomore Jaelin Williams (Springfield, Ohio/Shawnee) added 12 points and six rebounds, which tied for team honors in that category. Freshman Chris Sloneker (Monroe, Ohio/Monroe) chipped in with 10 points and six rebounds, while sophomore Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) finished with eight points and six boards.
As a team, Wittenberg shot 47 percent from the field, including 7-of-19 from three-point range. After struggling from the free throw line in a four-point loss to Wooster four days earlier, the Tigers bounced back to hit 23-of-29 from the charity stripe. In addition, Wittenberg held a 38-30 rebounding advantage.
Written By: Ryan Maurer