First-Half Spurt Carries No. 1-Ranked DePauw To Win Over Tigers

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Through the first 10 minutes of the game, the Wittenberg Tigers had played the No. 1-ranked team in the nation to a draw, with each team scoring 13 points. Then the defending national DePauw Tigers hit their stride, breaking the game open with a 21-2 run en route to a 73-48 victory.

The win was DePauw's 57th straight as the Tigers improved to 23-0 in the 2013-14 season and 14-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). Wittenberg saw its modest two-game winning streak snapped, falling to 12-9 overall and 7-6 in the league.

DePauw extended its lead to 38-20 by halftime and never looked back. Wittenberg managed to whittle the lead down to 14 with 5:09 left in the game, but the visiting Tigers responded with a game-ending 14-3 burst.

The key to the game was DePauw's tremendous defense, which stifled the host Tigers into a 26.5 percent shooting performance. Wittenberg managed just 13 field goals in the game, and the host Tigers' problems were compounded by a 48-29 rebounding deficit.

Wittenberg was led by senior Amber Rice (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds. Junior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) added nine points and three boards.

Now in a tie for fifth place in the NCAC standings with Allegheny, Wittenberg has three games remaining in the regular season, starting with a road trip to Wooster on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Tigers will tip off against the Scots at 2 p.m. at Wooster's Timken Gymnasium.