The Tigers defeated conference opponent Wittenberg College 50-40 on Wednesday, stretching their winning streak to four games.
When the schools originally squared off in January, the Tigers annihilated Wittenberg by a score of 62-28. Wednesday’s game certainly wasn’t the same game of domination that the Tigers had back in January. However, it was a hard fought match that ultimately saw the Tigers prevail.
The first quarter was up and down for both teams. The Tigers fell to an early 5-0 deficit within the first five minutes of the game, but they were quickly able to claw their way back into it. The Tigers were able to capitalize on a 10-0 run and led the game by a score of 10-5 by the end of the first quarter.
The Tigers began the second quarter right where they left off. Wittenberg was kept out of the game for the majority of the quarter. The Tigers put up six unanswered points in the final two minutes of the half to bring the game to a manageable 26-23 deficit.
Barely holding a lead after the first half, DePauw took control of the game in the third quarter. Their shutdown defense was extremely effective as they held Wittenberg to a mere six points. In addition to their superior defense, the Tigers stepped up their game offensively. They scored 17 points to establish a commanding 43-29 lead heading into the fourth.
The fourth quarter was fairly uneventful for both teams as the scoring went back and forth. The Wittenberg team was not able to challenge the Tigers, defensively or offensively, to spark a fourth quarter comeback. TheTigers maintained a steady lead through the end of the game, resulting in a satisfying 50-40 victory for DePauw.
Junior guard Claire Ryan led the team in scoring with 12 points, followed by sophomore guard Emily Budde and senior guard Colleen Connors, who finished the game with 11 points and 10 points, respectively.
“It was a tough one,” said junior forward Taylor Howard, “but we weathered the storm and got the win.”
The Tigers now hold a respectable 17-6 record and currently sit one spot below Denison (20-3) in the NCAC standings.
With only two games remaining in the regular season, the Tigers certainly seem to have found their stride. In addition to their four game winning streak, they have now won seven of their last eight games.
The Tigers look to ride their winning streak all the way into the postseason as only two opponents, Kenyon (15-7) and Ohio Wesleyan (5-17), remain.
DePauw will square off against Kenyon at home on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.