Tigers Fall In NCAC Tournament Opener

Springfield, OH – The Wittenberg Tiger men's basketball team wrapped up their 2021-22 season in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game, falling to the Big Red of Denison University, 62-58. It was a back and forth battle in the first half as the two sides were deadlocked at 25-25 after the first twenty-minutes of action. Landon Martin and Harrison Gough each tallied six points in the first half, leading the Tiger scoring effort. Gough would lead the Tiger rebound total, pulling down four boards. Fellow senior, Levi Boettcher added five points with three rebounds and two assists to get the action started. Wittenberg posted a 40 percent shooting clip on the evening, knocking down 21 of 52 from the floor, as the Tigers converted on just 2 of 11 from beyond the three-point arc.

Wittenberg would capture a quick 8-2 advantage at the first media timeout with just under 15-minutes remaining in the first half. The Tigers fended off a Big Red run late in the half, holding onto the six-point lead with just under three minutes in the half. The tow sides exchanged buckets within the final two minutes with Gough putting up the tying bucket at the buzzer, knotting things up at 25 apiece.

Denison came out firing in the second half, taking a quick 51-38 lead. The Tiger defense would step up down the stretch, pulling to within one in the final two minutes of action on the Martin layup, 54-53. The Tigers were unable to overcome the deficit, as a pair of Brice Hill free throws, kept Wittenberg within striking distance at 58-57. The battle with the clock did not work in the Tiger's favor, as the Big Red converted on their final two trips to the foul line.

Wittenberg wraps up their campaign with a 13-12 overall record.