Wittenberg Rallies With Big Second, Half Overcomes Wooster, 78-70
For the first time in North Coast Athletic Conference action this season, the Wittenberg University women's basketball team found itself trailing in the second half. The battle-tested Tigers fought their way through it, however, and rallied to defeat the visiting College of Wooster Lady Scots, 78-70, at the HPER Center.
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - For the first time in North Coast Athletic Conference action this season, the Wittenberg University women's basketball team found itself trailing in the second half. The battle-tested Tigers fought their way through it, however, and rallied to defeat the visiting College of Wooster Lady Scots, 78-70, at the HPER Center.
The win, Wittenberg's 26th straight in NCAC regular season action, moved the first-place Tigers to 10-5 overall and 6-0 in the NCAC. Wooster, which had won three straight games coming in, dropped to 8-7 overall and 3-4 in the conference with the loss. Wittenberg, which owns a 32-5 lead in the series between the two teams, won for the 14th straight time against Wooster.
The Tigers took an early 9-2 lead as junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) dished out assists on three consecutive three-pointers, two of which were hit by sophomore guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville). But the Lady Scots, a much taller and deeper outfit than the host team, came on strong, shooting 55 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes to claim a 42-40 lead by halftime. Wooster led by as much as nine in the first half before Wittenberg cut into the lead with a 8-3 run going into the locker room.
In the second half, Wooster led for the first seven minutes, until Jones put Wittenberg ahead with a jumper at the 13:17 mark. That basket was part of a 15-0 run that turned the game completely around, turning a 50-45 Wooster lead into a 60-50 Tiger advantage. Wooster closed the gap to three points on a basket by Alexis Louttit with 3:28 remaining in the game but could get no closer as the Tigers drained eight of their 10 free throws in the final 59 seconds to seal the deal.
The difference in the second half was rebounding and defense for the Tigers, who gave up too many lay-ups in the first 20 minutes and were outworked on the boards to the tune of 20-17. In the second half, Wittenberg owned the glass, collecting 28 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive end, to Wooster's 18. Keying things were the frontcourt senior duo of Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) with 19 points and 11 rebounds in one of her finest games in the Red & White, and Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) with 23 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs. For Warden, it was her eighth double-double in 15 games.