Wittenberg defeats Denison in NCAC Opener

GRANVILLE, Ohio - In a defensive struggle, the Wittenberg Tigers pulled out a hard-fought 50-45 victory at Denison University in the North Coast Athletic Conference opener for both teams. The win was the 21st straight for the defending champion Tigers in NCAC regular season play, dating back to February 2002, and it improved Wittenberg to 3-2 overall in the 2003-04 season.

Thirty-three of the Tigers' 50 points were scored by two players, including the final five points from an unlikely source, junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson). Schmid came off the bench to score a career-high 16 points, including a three-pointer with 2:02 remaining in the game that gave the Tigers' some breathing room in the form of a five-point lead. She tacked on two free throws with three seconds left on the clock to sew things up. Senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) continued to play exceptionally well, scoring 17 points and 15 rebounds to capture game honors in both statistical categories. It was her fourth double-double in five games this season, and she even tacked on three steals for good measure.

Neither team shot the ball well as Wittenberg finished 16-of-56 for a season-low 28 percent from the floor and Denison hit on 18-of-52 for 34 percent. The difference was a 46-37 rebounding advantage for the Tigers and three more turnovers committed by the Big Red. In addition, Wittenberg hit 10 more free throws in the game as Denison made just 5-of-13 from the charity stripe, compared to 15-of-21 for the Tigers.

Denison had three players score at least eight points, led by Marisa Hard with nine points off the bench. Kristen Sheffield added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Big Red dropped to 2-2 overall.