Wittenberg Trounces Opposing Tigers at Home, 85-53

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—Wittenberg got back on track at Pam Evans Smith Arena when DePauw came to town Wednesday evening. Wittenberg was in control from wire-to-wire thanks to Cody Phillippi (Xenia,Ohio/Xenia) starting the night with 11 points in the first three minutes of the game. Throughout the night, Wittenberg was too much to handle on the glass as the home team outrebounded the visiting Tigers by a hefty margin. The victory puts the Tigers at 14-8 on the season and 9-6 in NCAC play.

GAME BREAKDOWN

• From the opening tip, it was The Phillippi Show, as the junior guard opened up the game scoring 11 points in three minute and thirty seconds, 11 of Wittenberg's first 13 points on the night.
• Phillippi's scoring proved to be contagious as Garrett Dorfman (Durham, North Carolina/Northern Durham) banged home a corner-three to put the home team up 20-5, not even a quarter of the way through the first-half.
• With 11:00 remaining in the first half, Dorfman spotted up again from deep, knocking home another three, his twenty-fourth of the year, to push the lead to 23-5.
• The three-point barrage continued on the next possession for Wittenberg, as sophomore Mark Schult (Edgewood, Kentucky/Covington Catholic) found his way to the top of the key to send another three-ball through the bottom of the net, making the Tiger lead 26-7.
• Wittenberg took a 21 point lead with 5:45 remaining in the half as Dorfman found his way to the bucket for a beautiful scoop layup around the DePauw defense.
• As Schult and Dorfman continued to go back and forth, Schult drove to the bucket, collecting a foul and successfully completing an and-one attempt to push the home team's lead to 38-17.
• As time expired in the first half, Phillippi collected his 16th point of the night on a baseline layup as the Tigers took a 41-20 lead into the break.
• With 13:00 remaining in the second-half, the Tigers of Wittenberg led the Tigers of DePauw 59-28.
• Alex Fultz (Cincinnati, Ohio/Glen Este), Ryan Gallimore (Loveland, Ohio/Milford) and Dorfman all connected on three-pointers in the first seven minutes of the half.
• Wittenberg took a 77-37 lead with seven minutes remaining in the second-half after Shane Edwards (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) got to the cup for an easy layup.
• At the final buzzer, Wittenberg emerged victorious 85-53.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• The Tigers shot 58.6 percent from the floor in the victory, dishing out 15 assists along the way.
• Wittenberg enjoyed 37 bench points on the night in the NCAC victory.
• Dorfman and Phillippi combined for 34 points on the night, going eight for eleven from behind the three-point arc.

KEY STATS

• The combination of Edwards, Fultz, and Schult combined for 24 points and 19 rebounds on the night.
• Wittenberg crushed DePauw on the glass, outrebounding the visiting Tigers 45-18.

UP NEXT

• Wittenberg hits the road over the weekend to take on the College of Wooster on February 13 at 7:30 PM.