Tigers Start Challenging Road Trip With Win At Hiram

HIRAM, Ohio - In the series between Wittenberg and Hiram in women's basketball, one is apparently enough. After the Terriers beat the Tigers for the first time ever in February 2013, Wittenberg turned the tables in a 59-43 road victory.

As important as it was for the Tigers to get back on the winning side of the ledger in the 33-game series against Hiram, it was more important for Wittenberg to start a challenging two-game weekend road trip with a win. The Tigers improved to 7-4 on the season, including a record of 2-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), less than 24 hours before taking on Allegheny on the Gators' home floor.

Wittenberg led from wire to wire in this contest, although it took about 12 minutes for the Tigers to break the game open. An 8-0 run turned a 14-13 lead into a 22-13 advantage over the span of three minutes, and even after Hiram scored the last four points of the first half Wittenberg took a 30-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Tigers led by double figures throughout the second half, thanks primarily to a solid shooting stroke from the foul line. Wittenberg managed just 5-of-27 shooting from the field over the final 20 minutes, but the Tigers held Hiram at bay with 17-of-21 free throw shooting.

For the game, Wittenberg shot just 29 percent from the field, compared to 26.4 percent for the Terriers. The Tigers held a 46-38 rebounding advantage and committed three fewer turnovers.

Individually, senior Amber Rice (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) led the way with 14 points and five steals, while juniors Heather Schroeder (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) and Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) added 13 points apiece.

Hiram dropped to 4-8 overall and 0-3 in the NCAC with the loss.