“I thought we played OK defensively, but we just struggled most the game making shots,” Wittenberg coach Matt Croci said. “We’ve been playing well defensively most of the year, but we just couldn’t sustain anything within the game today because we couldn’t score. We’ve got to execute better offensively and get more high-percentage shots.”
Shane Edwards made a layup for Wittenberg with 11:32 left in the second half to cut Wooster’s lead to 40-38.
That was as close as the Tigers came. Wooster scored the next eight points on two 3-pointers and a layup to stretch the lead to 10. After that, Wittenberg never cut the deficit to less than eight.
The Tigers struggled shooting. They made 36.7 percent of shot attempts, including 1-of-14 from 3-point range. Wooster shot 43.1 percent from the field and outrebounded Wittenberg 40-37.
Chad Roy led Wittenberg with 16 points, while Jaelin Williams scored 10 and brought down a team-high 11 rebounds. Williams, a senior forward, leads the team with an average of 10.6 points per game.
Croci said he’s proud of how Williams has fought back from a knee injury that was surgically repaired last summer.
“He’s going through a lot of frustrating times because it’s his senior year and he’s not quite 100 percent healthy,” Croci said. “I’m proud of how he battles and approaches everything. I certainly like everything that he’s given us.”
The Scots (9-6, 6-2 NCAC) have beaten Wittenberg 10 out of the last 11 meetings. Wooster coach Steve Moore, a Wittenberg grad, said he’s always happy when his team can beat a rival on the road.
“It’s still a really good rivalry for the players, and that’s the most important thing,” Moore said. “It’s fun for both sides.”
The win was Moore’s 787th as a head coach. Wooster beat Allegheny on Wednesday night, and that victory moved Moore to No. 2 all-time in wins among Division III coaches.
Wooster started the season 5-5 but has won three consecutive games and four of its last five.
“We’ve been playing better and improving, and this is a good win for us and our confidence,” Moore said. “… Our guys had great composure when Wittenberg made some runs. We got some stops at the defensive end. I think for a while we were turning the ball over, and once we stopped we got some good shots and pulled away.”
Danyon Hempy led the Scots with 17 points, while Spencer Williams added 15 and Dan Fanelly scored 12.
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