Women's Basketball Holds Off Grizzlies, 65-62

Women's Basketball Holds Off Grizzlies, 65-62
November 25, 2018
Video Box Score Box Score

Written by: Sutton Jacobs '18

SPRINGFIELD, OHIO – Tiger basketball held off Franklin College on Sunday afternoon, 65-62, in Wittenberg women's basketball second appearance at The Pam. Four players tallied 52 points through the game, including Alex Kiess (16), Delaney Williams (15), McKenna Baker (11) and Kristie Kalis (10). Williams also controlled the flow of play, passing in six assists, while Riley Culver controlled the ball with eight assists. Baker came off the bench to score nine for the Tigers, drasticallly changing the game with three steals to her name.

How It Happened: The Tigers dominated the first quarter, out scoring the Grizzlies 19-9. Kiess highlighted a 17-2 run by the Tigers, netting three shots from beyond the arc in a row, followed up by another from Amanda Raber. Franklin began a comeback in the second, scoring 25 points through the quarter, however the Tigers held constant to their previous quarter's performance to score 19 again and hold back the oncoming Grizzlies. Williams led the Tigers as the second quarter opened, netting five points toward a 9-1 Wittenberg run. Franklin countered with a 15-2 run of their own before the half. Despite the Grizzlies outscoring the Tigers 25-19, Wittenberg found themselves continuing to lead and extending the margin to +16 halfway through the quarter.

Williams set the tone another seven points toward the Tigers 10-2 run to open the third quarter. Tigers found more rhythm defensively as well with turnovers forced by Culver and Korynne Berner, and shots blocked by Kalis and Culver. Kalis closed out the third with two shots made for five points hot from the hands of Williams to lead by nine going into the final 10 minutes of action. Struggling out of the gates, the Tigers gained enough ground in the fouth quarter to hold off the Grizzlies. Tiger defense strengthened and pushed back as Franklin delivered a shot to give themselves their first lead since the first quarter. Wittenberg held on, as Kiess made two key steals. Consecutive shots made by Culver, Kalis, and Williams alloed the Tigers to pull away and extend the scoring margin. Wittenberg's defense allowed the win by not giving up a foul and forcing a missed Grizzly shot in the paint late in the game.

Inside the Numbers: The Tiger starters – Williams, Raber, Culver, Kalis and Kiess – outscored the Franklin starters 51-28, forcing the young Grizzly bench to make plays against the tough Tiger defense. The starters helped the Tigers command the three-point game, scoring seven of eight field goals from beyond the arc, and making 40 percent as a team. The red and white also found success at the free-throw line, tallying 73.3 percent from the line to Franklin's 53.3 percent. Nine steals for Wittenberg from the Grizzlies 17 turnovers led directly to 10 points.

Up Next: Wittenberg travels down to Cincinnati, Ohio for a road game on the 28th against Mount St. Joseph at 7:00 PM before returning to The Pam for a basketball-doubleheader on Dec. 1, when women's basketball takes on Denison at 1:00 PM and the men look to down Oberlin at 3:00 PM.