Tigers Pull Away From Marietta For Second Straight Win

MARIETTA, Ohio - The Wittenberg Tigers picked up right where they left off at the end of their season opening win over Capital in a 79-63 road victory over Marietta.

Much like that win over Capital, it was a strong close to the first half that jumpstarted the Tigers to the win. Against Marietta, the Tigers broke open a back-and-forth game with a 15-6 burst over the final seven minutes of the opening frame.

In the second half, Wittenberg never allowed the Pioneers to get any closer than four points. The Tigers sealed the victory with exceptional free throw shooting - Wittenberg made 29-of-35 overall in the game (82.9 percent), including 20-of-25 in the second half alone.

Wittenberg shot 40.4 percent from the field, and after hitting nearly 70 percent from three-point range in the opener, the Tigers were cold from the perimeter with a 4-of-20 showing from beyond the arc. Wittenberg made up for their lack of marksmanship with a seven-rebound margin and a strong defensive performance that forced 22 Marietta turnovers and limited the Pioneers to 37.9 percent shooting.

Senior Darbie Zirkle (St. Paris, Ohio/Graham) continued her strong start to the 2014-15 campaign with career-highs of 19 points, eight rebounds and eight steals, which was just one short of the school record. Zirkle even contributed two blocked shots from her guard spot.

Junior center Ali Miller (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas) added 15 points and 12 rebounds for her first career double-double, while senior guard Enri Small (Columbus, Ohio/Columbus School for Girls) contributed a tremendous all-around stats line of 12 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Senior Heather Schroeder (Aurora, Ohio/Aurora) finished with 10 points, and senior Katelyn Haralamos (Maineville, Ohio/Kings) rounded out the starters with eight points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Written By: Ryan Maurer