Since he took the helm at Wittenberg, Bill Brown’s Tigers have lost just three times in 20 seasons to Kenyon College, the school at which he landed his first permanent head coaching position in 1985. Wednesday night, the Lords threatened to buck the trend, but the Tigers held on for a 71-64 victory at Pam Evans Smith Arena.

Nine Tiger turnovers counterbalanced a 23-14 first-half rebounding advantage for Wittenberg, helping Kenyon take the lead twice in the period, including a two-point bump 16 minutes into the game.

Scott Masin answered by sinking a pair of free throws, and an old-fashioned 3-point-play by Ben Syroka set up by a Cam Walton steal gave Wittenberg a lead it would hold the rest of the way, though twice only by one point.

The Lords closed to within one with just 7 seconds remaining in the first half before Zack Leahy hit a spot-up three pointer as time expired to give the Tigers a four-point halftime lead.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Kenyon again cut the lead to one. The Tigers responded with a nine-point run, eventually expanding the margin to 12 points before Kenyon cut it back to two points at 64-62 with 2:20 showing on the clock.

The Tigers earned five of their final seven points at the free throw line, including a pair by Masin, who finished with team-best figures of 21 points and 12 rebounds, good for his seventh double-double of the season.

Sam Collins finished with 10 rebounds, while Leahy checked in with 13 points and Steven Newell was 4-for-6 from three-point range for 12 points.