Justin Hallowell

After a slow start that saw The College of Wooster trail by double digits for several possessions, the Fighting Scots outscored Wittenberg University 19-4 over the final eight minutes of the first half and never trailed during the second en route to a 66-56 victory in the arch-rivals' first of two regular season meetings Saturday night at Springfield, Ohio.

With the win, Wooster holds onto a two-game lead in the North Coast Athletic Conference at 8-0, followed by Wabash College (6-2) and a four-way tie for third-place, which now includes Wittenberg (5-3).

It was all Tigers early Saturday, as they built a 16-5 bulge less than eight minutes into the action. They were ahead 21-11 when the Scots broke out of an 0-for-8 3-point shooting slump, as Matt Fegan connected on one from behind the arc to kick-start the 19-4 stretch.

After an offensive foul on the other end, Ian Franks converted a drive to the hoop, which was followed by a Nathan Balch 3-pointer on the next Wooster possession. Wittenberg briefly interrupted the run with a free throw, only to see Justin Hallowell bury a 3-pointer to make it tie game (22-22) after having trailed by 10 less than three minutes prior.

The Scots continued to hold the upperhand the final minutes of the half, taking a 30-25 advantage into the break.

The Tigers opened the second with a 3-pointer, but then Wooster ran off seven-straight points – a Brandon Johnson 3-pointer and back-to-back buckets in the paint for Bryan Wickliffe – to open up a 37-28 cushion.

Wittenberg regained the momentum, eventually tying it at 44 at the midway point of the half. Following a timeout at that juncture, the Scots responded with an 11-2 stretch, gaining a 55-46 lead.

The Tigers would make one last rally, chipping the margin down to four at 60-56 with 2:46 remaining, and they had four offensive possessions to cut it even closer. Wooster's defense held them scoreless, though, and the Scots made 6-of-6 free throws during the final :33 to account for the 10-point margin – the only time all game they led by double figures.

Statistically, the biggest difference in the game was free throw shooting, as Wooster converted 13-of-16 (.813), compared to Wittenberg's 4-of-11 (.364). The Scots also won the rebounding battle (39-37) and shot slightly better from the field, finishing at 42.3 percent (22-of-52) to 34.4 percent (21-for-61).

Franks was the game's highest scorer with 20 points, while Hallowell came through with his first career double-double, recording 13 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end. Fegan also played a significant role with 10 points off the bench, and Johnson had a game-high four assists.

The lone Tiger in double figures was Chris Sullivan, who had 18 points, all coming on 3-balls (6-for-12).

Wooster will look to solidify its first-place hold in the NCAC on Wednesday night when it hosts one of the third-place squads, Hiram College (8-9, 5-3 NCAC).