Roundup: Tigers Remain In Front At 5-0 In NCAC
The Wittenberg University women's basketball team continued its winning way last week and have surged to the front of the North Coast Athletic Conference standings once again.
The Wittenberg University women's basketball team continued its winning way last week and have surged to the front of the North Coast Athletic Conference standings once again. The Tigers, with five straight wins under their belt, stand at 9-5 overall and 5-0 in the NCAC, tied with preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan atop the standings.
In the last week, Wittenberg was up to the task on two occasions, turning back challenges from NCAC rivals Oberlin and Kenyon on Saturday and Wednesday respectively. That sets up games in the next week against Wooster, one of four teams in the conference sporting winning records currently, at home on Saturday and Wednesday at home against Denison, which is alone in third place in the NCAC at the moment.
Against Oberlin, the Tigers didn't play a perfect offensive game but they suffocated the Yeowomen defensively to come away with a victory, 59-39. Wittenberg never trailed in the game, as junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) drilled a three-pointer at the 17:09 mark to give the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.
Wittenberg was led by senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) with 15 points and seven rebounds in the game. She was joined in double figures by junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 12 and sophomore guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) with 10 tallies. The Tigers took 19 more shots in the game than Oberlin thanks to a deceiving 41-38 rebounding advantage - Wittenberg collected 21 offensive boards, led by Warden with four. In addition, the Tigers forced 26 Oberlin turnovers, compared to 15 for the visitors.
Against Kenyon, it was another nailbiter for the Tigers as they upended host Kenyon 56-48. The win, Wittenberg's 25th straight in NCAC regular season action. It was another low-scoring, defensive-oriented struggle for the Tigers, and yet another narrow margin of victory. Seven of Wittenberg's nine wins have come by 11 points or less, including three of the first five in the NCAC.
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie five minutes into the game and never looked back, keeping Kenyon at arm's length throughout, in part by making 17-of-23 foul shots, including 7-of-8 in the final 1:39.
Wittenberg was led once again by Warden, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Senior post Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) added six points and a game-high eight boards. Senior guard Kari Kitchen (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) checked in with seven points, including 4-of-4 free throws in the final two minutes, and four assists. And junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) chipped in with nine points and three rebounds off the bench.