DELAWARE, Ohio - Coming off the most disappointing loss of the 2013-14 season and facing a road game against a nationally ranked arch-rival, the Wittenberg Tigers needed a spark. They got it from senior guard Zack Leahy (Rossford, Ohio/Rossford), who poured in a career-high 27 points in a 66-55 victory over Ohio Wesleyan.
The win moved the Tigers to 16-4 overall and 10-3 in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC), good for a three-way tie for second place in the NCAC, one game behind Wooster with five regular season contests remaining. Those records match Ohio Wesleyan, but Wittenberg now has the leg up in any tiebreaker scenario after sweeping the season series.
Unlike the last meeting between the two teams, which featured a stunning 22-point rally for an overtime victory by the Tigers, it was Wittenberg that got off to a strong start. The visitors jumped out to a 14-5 lead over the first six minutes, and a 10-point run midway through the first half staked the Tigers to a commanding 30-16 advantage.
Ohio Wesleyan rallied, however, closing to within eight points by halftime and as close as three points on two occasions early in the second half. That would be as close as the Battling Bishops could get as the Tigers held on down the stretch, despite struggling to a 9-of-19 showing from the free throw line over the final 20 minutes.
After starting the year averaging more than 14 points per game, Leahy had been struggling with his shot in recent weeks. That all changed against Ohio Wesleyan, as Leahy was the difference in the game.
He topped his previous career high of 24 points established a year ago against DePauw by draining 11-of-14 shots from the field, including a sizzling 5-of-6 from three-point range. He added five rebounds and two assists.
Senior post Scott Masin (New Carlisle, Ohio/Bethel) added a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds, in addition to three assists and two steals, and junior Sam Collins (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) contributed 13 points and seven boards. Senior guard Steven Newell (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) chipped in with nine points, including a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. The rest of the team managed just 3-of-13 from the charity stripe.
As a team, Wittenberg shot 46 percent from the field while holding the Battling Bishops to 36 percent at the other end. The Tigers held a narrow 40-36 rebounding advantage.