Men’s Basketball Defeats Wooster For Second Time This Season

WOOSTER, OH – Freshman Noah Frayer (Odenton, MD / SPIRE Academy) exploded for a career-high 31 points as Wittenberg overcame a slow first-half to tally an 86-75 victory over rival and host team the College of Wooster in a North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) battle Saturday night, Jan. 31, at Timken Gymnasium.

It was the second win in a row for Wittenberg, which improved to 14-5 overall and 7-3 NCAC. With the loss, Wooster drops to 6-14 overall and 3-8 in the conference. It was also the first season sweep of Wooster since 2018 and the first three-game win streak in the series for the Tigers since 2004. Wittenberg defeated Wooster earlier this year, on Jan. 3, 78-53.

The Tigers jumped out to a 6-0 lead to start the game, then Wooster answered with a 7-0 run of its own to go ahead 7-6. Things stayed close throughout the first half, with Wooster getting the slight edge at the intermission at 40-38. 

Frayer scored 19 of his 31 points in the first half. His previous scoring high was 17. But he wasn't the only Tiger turning in a career night. Fellow freshman Jace Wardlow (Bowling Green, KY / Bowling Green) came off the bench to score a career-high 17 points.

While the first half belonged mostly to the Fighting Scots, the second half belonged to Wittenberg. The Tigers came out strong and went ahead quickly at the 19:44 mark on a three-pointer by Frayer to start what would be a 10-1 run that would give the Tigers the lead for good. Wooster cut the lead to one three times in the second half – first at the 7:12 mark at 66-65, then at the 5:55 mark at 68-67, and again at the 4:09 mark at 70-69. However, the Tigers outscored Wooster, 16-6, down the stretch to hold onto the victory. It helped that Wittenberg scored 19 points off Wooster's 16 turnovers.

The Tigers host two big NCAC games next week. First up will be DePauw on Feb. 4, followed by league-leading Denison on Feb. 7. A large alumni crowd is expected, especially for the Denison game, as the Big Red are coached by Chris Sullivan, Wittenberg class of 2011 and the Tigers' all-time leader in three-pointers. Denison is currently 8-2 in the NCAC, followed by Wittenberg and Wabash, both at 7-3.

Team Leaders

• Noah Frayer (Odenton, MD / SPIRE Academy) led all scorers with 31 points. He also led the team in steals with three and pulled down three rebounds.
• Jace Wardlow (Bowling Green, KY / Bowling Green) came off the bench and scored 17 points.
• Eddie Brown (Lewis Center, OH / Olentangy Orange) led the team in rebounds with nine. He also had eight points and four assists. 
• Cal Bavineau (Dexter, MI / Dexter) and Dawson Scott (New Castle, IN / New Castle) each had four rebounds. Scott added three steals.

Team Comparison

• The Tigers shot 29-of-55 (44.1%) from the field, 11-of-25 (44%) from three-point range, and 23-of-30 (76.7%) from the charity stripe. They also logged 29 rebounds and 13 assists while only turning the ball over seven times.
• The Fighting Scots shot 22-for-52 (48.1%) from the field, 5-for-13 (38.5%) from three-point land, and 20-for-25 (80%) from the line. They also pulled down 37 rebounds and added eight assists, while turning the ball over 16 times.

Next Up

The Tigers take on DePauw at home in Pam Evans Smith Arena, part of the Health, Wellness & Athletics Complex, at 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, then Denison on Feb. 7 at 2 p.m.

Written By: Cindy Holbrook