Yunker Uncontainable In Career Day At Denison

Granville, Ohio - Wittenberg women's basketball held on for their second North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) win of the season, taking down the Big Red of Denison University 75-69. The Tiger's finished with four players scoring in double figures for the second time this season. Wittenberg freshman Abigail Yunker posted a career-high 18 points in 26 minutes off the bench for the Tigers. Reeling in a team-leading seven rebounds against the Big Red, Yunker also added a career-high five assists. The Tiger's now shift their focus to finals week and will wait to travel to Franklin College, as Wittenberg hits the road again on Tuesday, December 19.

HOW IT HAPPENED: Going into the break trailing the Big Red 33-27. Wittenberg would fight back from being down by as many as 14 in the game. The Tigers would return to the court a rejuvenated team, forcing turnovers and cutting the Denison lead to just one point just minutes into the third quarter. The Tigers would capture their first lead of the second half, coming off an Alex Kiess coast-to-coast lay-up with just over seven minutes in the third quarter.  

WHO STOOD OUT: Kiess pulled down a team-leading seven boards for the Tigers. Playing an unconscious second-half, Yunker scored 10 of her 18 in the fourth quarter for Wittenberg. Going perfect from the field in the third quarter, Yunker would finish the day shooting 87% from the field. Kiess tallied eight of her 15 total points in the fourth quarter, knocking down four of five attempts from the floor. The freshman duo of Delaney Williams and Kristie Kalis would each post 12 points. Williams adding five assists to her total and Kalis pulling down five rebounds on the day.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: As a team, Wittenberg shot a season-high 50% from the field, while holding Denison to 37%. Wittenberg shot just over 30% from three-point land, and converted on 12 of their 18 attempts from the charity stripe. Leading by as many as eight coming down the stretch, the Tigers cleaned up the boards, hauling in 41 rebounds to Denison's 34. Wittenberg's bench stole the show on the road, outscoring Denison by a final margin of 34-7.

FROM THE BENCH: "We were determined to make good things happen today. I am really proud of our team fighting back after being down by 14 and carrying the momentum we had at the end of the second quarter in the second half," said Coach Mahlum, "This was a great road win for us."

UP NEXT: Wittenberg returns to action on Tuesday, December 19, with a trip to Franklin. The Tigers and the Grizzlies are set to tip-off at 6:00 PM.