Slow Start Buries Tigers In Loss At #2 Transylvania

Lexington, Ky. - The Transylvania Pioneers went undefeated a year ago en route to winning the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball National Championship. Through the first four games of the 2023-24 season, the Pioneers have continued to impress, rolling to four straight victories by double figures, the latest coming at the expense of visiting Wittenberg by a score of 69-46.

The loss dropped the Tigers to 3-2 on the young season, while Transylvania, ranked #2 in the latest d3hoops.com poll, improved to 4-0.

The key to victory for Transylvania was a dominating first half. The Pioneers led 21-9 by the end of the first quarter and then put the game out of reach with a 20-3 burst in the second quarter. Wittenberg chipped away over the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Pioneers in the third and fourth quarters by narrow margins, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Transylvania shot 54 percent from the field, including an impressive 9-of-20 from three-point range. Both teams committed 18 turnovers in the game, and the Tigers actually dominated the rebounding category by a 41-28 margin. Twenty-one of Wittenberg's rebounds came at the offensive end as the Tigers shot a season-low 27 percent from the field, including just 1-of-18 from three-point range.

None of the 11 Tigers who appeared in the game reached double figures offensively. Junior Riane Burton (Houston, Texas/Cypress Ranch) led the way offensively with nine points, and she was one of three players to lead the team with six rebounds. The others were freshman Karley Moore (Tipp City, Ohio/Bethel) and senior Jade Simpson (Edgewood, Kentucky/Holy Cross).

Transylvania was Wittenberg's third nationally ranked opponent in its first five games of the 2023-24 season. The Tigers previously defeated Ohio Northern and Trine.