#3 Wittenberg Now 19-0 After Career Day by Roy

#3 Wittenberg men’s basketball continued to roll through NCAC play, this time with an 84-61 victory over the Big Red of Denison.

#3 Wittenberg Now 19-0 After Career Day by Roy
January 27, 2018
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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio-- #3 Wittenberg men's basketball continued to roll through NCAC play, this time with an 84-61 victory over the Big Red of Denison. Despite the Big Red taking a lead over the Tigers early on, great passing and bigtime rebounding put the Tigers in position to get it done on their home floor. Behind a career high 25 points from senior Chad Roy, the Tigers outmatched Denison in nearly every facet of the game on Saturday, sending the Big Red packing. Wittenberg's 84-61 win over Denison serves as the second 20+ point loss the Tigers handed the Big Red this year.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Up 38-30 at the break, Wittenberg came out on a mission in the early minutes of the second half, as the Tigers took a commanding 53-37 lead after a made layup by Rashaad Ali-Shakir at 13:39. With 10:13 remaining, Mitchell Balser gave the Tigers a 22-point lead with a three-pointer off an assist from Jacob Bertemes, as the Tigers led 64-42. After a pair of Roy free throws with 2:44 remaining in the game, the Tigers found themselves on-top 80-58, as Roy was subbed out of the game to a standing ovation for the at-capacity crowd inside Pam Evans Smith Arena. In the end, Wittenberg was too much for the Big Red, as the Tigers dispatched the Big Red 84-61.

WHO STOOD OUT: Roy missed out on a double-double by a rebound with a 25-point nine board performance. His counterpart in the low-post, Connor Seipel, chipped in 13 points and 11 boards for another double-double. Balser shouldered the load for the second consecutive game at guard for the Tigers, as the junior knocked in 12 points, including a three of six performance from downtown. Off the bench for Wittenberg, James Johnson splashed home both of his three-pointers, as the freshman tallied eight points in the win.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: Wittenberg shot a blistering 53% from the floor in the win, as the Big Red managed to shoot 46% from the floor. Wittenberg dismantled the Big Red on the glass, pulling down 38 boards to Denison's 22. The Big Red's largest lead in Springfield was one point, as the Tigers managed to upend the Big Red by 23 at the final horn. In the first meeting between the Big Red and the Tigers, Denison turned the ball over 20 times. On Saturday, Denison was limited to just 13 turnovers, but the Tigers scored 17 points off those miscues including a big-time Johnson dunk in the second half.

UP NEXT: Wittenberg is back in action on January 31 against the Lords of Kenyon College. Tip-off from Springfield is set for 7:30 P.M.