Tigers Pull Away Late For 70-61 Holiday Classic Win Over Muskingum

Springfield, Ohio - In a game that featured six ties and 16 lead changes, the Wittenberg Tigers made the key plays down the stretch to pull out a 70-61 win over Muskingum on the opening day of the 2023 Holiday Classic.

The win moved the Tigers to 8-4 on the season, while Muskingum dropped to 3-7. The Muskies are coached by former Wittenberg assistant Nathan Wahle, and former Tiger player Landon Martin is one of his assistants.

The last of those lead changes came with 11:37 remaining in the game as freshman Grayson Steury (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) drained a three-pointer off a slick feed from junior Trey Killens (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mason). That basket kickstarted a decisive 11-0 Wittenberg run that turned a 52-51 deficit into a 62-52 lead. Muskingum got the lead back down to four with a 6-0 run of its own, but the Tigers held on over the final five minutes by making their last six free throws.

Sophomore Eddie Brown (Lewis Center, Ohio/Olentangy Orange) led the Tigers with 19 points and eight rebounds, in addition to three assists, three blocked shots, and two steals. Killens added 15 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Steury was among three players with eight points, the others being senior Daniel Asher (Indianapolis, Indiana/Roncalli) and junior Cameron Harrison (Eaton, Ohio/National Trail).

The Tigers advanced to the Holiday Classic championship game against Stevenson at 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 20. The Mustangs reached the championship game with a thrilling two-point overtime win over Manchester in the game that preceded Wittenberg and Muskingum.