Box Score
Joe Ringger scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and recorded three steals in the Tigers' 83-68 win over Centre. (photo: Marilyn Culler)
GREENCASTLE, Ind. - With a program as rich in tradition as DePauw's, it's somewhat astonishing that the ninth-ranked Tigers' 5-0 start is the best in 55 years. DePauw's 83-68 win over visiting Centre in the SCAC opener for both teams gave the Tigers their best record to start the season since the 1946-47 team won its first seven games. The victory was the Tigers' 10th straight dating back to last February.
DePauw led early in the first half by as many as five, but the Colonels gained as much as a four-point lead on the way to a 35-32 halftime advantage.
As was the case in Monday's win at Wabash, the second half told a different story. DePauw nailed 16 of 22 second-half shots for nearly 73 percent and built as much as a 19-point lead. Additionally, they connected on 10 of their final 12 shots of the game.
The Tigers scored the first five points of the second half as Joe Ringger scored a couple of buckets in the opening minute and Mike Howland added a free throw. A 22-5 run over a 7:30 stretch lifted DePauw to its biggest lead of the game at 63-44. That stretch included six different players scoring, three three-point plays and three three-point field goals.
Centre closed the gap to 72-66 with 2:05 left after an 8-1 string, but Joe Nixon's three-pointer and Jon Owens' layup pushed the lead back to double digits. DePauw closed the game by making all six free throws in the final 1:01.
All five starters scored in double figures led by Nixon's 21 and Ringger's 18. Mike Howland finished with 12 points and seven assists, while Jeremy Bettis added 11 points, nine rebounds and two blocks. Owens added 10 points in the win.
Four Colonels scored in double figures with James Booker leading the way with 14 and Doug Donaldson following with 13. Rob King added 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Matt Mooney added 10 points.
Nixon moved into 13th place on DePauw's all-time scoring list as he passed Morgan Everson (1964-66) with his 1,159 total. Howland moved into 17th place in scoring with 1,013 points and passed Brad Brownell (1989-91) and into fifth place on the all-time assist list with 334.
The Tigers host Sewanee at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Sewanee lost at Rose-Hulman on Friday by a 66-49 score.
