Wittenberg Opens NCAC Play With Key Win Over Denison
The Wittenberg Tigers put together a total team effort in their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener, and the pay-off was a key early-season win over preseason favorite Denison, 81-73.
GRANVILLE, Ohio — The Wittenberg Tigers put together a total team effort in their North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) opener, and the pay-off was a key early-season win over preseason favorite Denison, 81-73.
Wittenberg improved to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the NCAC, while Denison, which won the regular season and tournament titles a year ago, fell to 3-4 overall and 0-1 in the conference. The Tigers have another weeklong lay-off ahead of them before their fourth and final road trip of season's opening month at defending national champion DePauw on Saturday, Dec. 15.
The Tigers jumped out to a 14-point lead by halftime in this one, thanks in large part to torrid 53.1 percent shooting in the opening 20 minutes. That included a 5-of-7 performance from beyond the three-point line.
Not surprisingly, Denison bounced back to make it a tight game in the second half. The Big Red whittled the lead down to one point twice midway through the half, only to see Wittenberg sophomores Victoria Leali (Jackson, Ohio/Jackson) and Elise Jenkins (Elida, Ohio/Elida) drain clutch shots to help the Tigers hang on to the lead. Wittenberg made just 2-of-7 three-pointers in the final 20 minutes, but both - one each by Jenkins and senior Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) - were crucial.
Leali led the Tigers with a career-high 19 points in 31 minutes. She hit all four of her three-pointers in the game and, just as importantly, she committed just one turnover against two assists. Her job was made easier by the return of juniorKristin Donawerth (Harrison, Ohio/Harrison), who saw her first action in nearly a year due to a knee injury. She played nine solid minutes off the bench, contributing a team-high three steals.
Also getting into the act off the bench was sophomore Stephanie Boardman (Cincinnati, Ohio/McAuley), who posted a career-high 15 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field in 18 outstanding minutes. Senior Katie Gregorevich (Northfield, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) added 14 points and Rohlfs contributed 13 points.
Springfield native Sarah Perrine and Carolyn Simpson led Denison with 13 points each, while Ellen O'Brien and Shaina Kaiser added 12 points apiece. The Big Red shot 42 percent from the field, while the Tigers hit 50 percent. Wittenberg won the rebounding battle, 38-36, and each team finished with 17 turnovers.