Tigers Close Regular Season With Loss at John Carroll

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, OH - On the final day of the 2025-26 regular season for both teams, John Carroll avenged a one-point loss at Wittenberg in December with an 80-68 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) victory.

The win moved John Carroll, playing its inaugural season as a member of the NCAC, to 19-6 overall and 11-5 in the league, good for a second-place tie with DePauw and one game behind first-place Denison. Wittenberg fell to fourth place in the final standings at 10-6 to go along with a 17-8 overall record.

Despite the loss, the 2025-26 season has already represented a tremendous turnaround for the Tigers, who improved their win total by eight games overall and five in the NCAC from a year earlier. After missing the NCAC Tournament for the first time since joining the league in 1989, the Tigers will make their return to postseason play by hosting Wabash at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, in a quarterfinal game. Wittenberg swept Wabash during the regular season.

The Blue Streaks controlled the re-match from the outset, jumping out to a commanding 38-18 lead by halftime and cruising from there, despite the fact that Wittenberg outscored the host team by eight over the final 20 minutes. The key to the game was ball security, an area where the Tigers have thrived most of the season. However, on this night, Wittenberg committed 22 turnovers, five more than their previous high on the season, and John Carroll held a whopping 20-6 advantage in points off turnovers.

Wittenberg shot a respectable 43 percent from the field, including 5-of-16 from three-point range, but the Tigers were also hurt by making just 11-of-20 from the free throw line. John Carroll actually shot a lower percentage (39%) for the game, but the Blue Streaks made four more three-pointers and seven more free throws.

The Tigers' leading scorers in the game were Sam Miller (Ashville, OH / Teays Valley) and Jace Wardlow (Bowling Green, KY / Bowling Green) with 17 and 10 points, respectively, off the bench. Wittenberg won the rebounding battle 41-31, with Dawson Scott (New Castle, IN / New Castle) leading all players with 11.

Written By: Ryan Maurer