Tigers Dominate The Boards In Holiday Classic Win Over Miami-Hamilton

Springfield, Ohio - It took a while, but Wittenberg's depth and size advantages eventually wore down visiting Miami-Hamilton in a 71-56 victory on the opening day of the 2023 Women's Basketball Holiday Classic.

Rotating just six players in and out of the lineup throughout the game, Miami-Hamilton kept things close, in part thanks to a 2-3 zone that negated Wittenberg's size advantage. But the Tigers slowly pulled away in the second half, overcoming a 2-for-21 performance from three-point range with a 50-30 edge in points in the paint and a 21-2 edge in second-chance points.

For a third straight game, sophomore Riane Burton (Houston, Texas/Cypress Ranch) turned in an efficient double-double off the bench. In 23 minutes on the floor, Burton scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds - including seven at the offensive end. Burton finished 10-of-11 shooting from the field, in addition to a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.

The only other Tigers in double figures was junior Jazmyn Gaines-Burns (Bladensburg, Maryland/Elizabeth Seton), who added 11 points and five rebounds. Also of note, junior Taryn Cash (Cincinnati, Ohio/Princeton) contributed nine points, four rebounds, and five assists, junior Katie Whitaker (Pittsford, NY/Our Lady of Mercy) chipped in with eight points and six rebounds, and senior McKenna Baker (Brownsburg, Indiana/Bethesda Christian) added seven points, two rebounds, and two steals.

Wittenberg held a commanding 44-19 rebounding advantage in the game, with 23 of the Tigers' rebounds coming at the offensive end.