Greencastle, Ind. - Snapping its two-game losing streak, the DePauw men's basketball team beat the Wittenberg University Tigers 80-73 in Neal Fieldhouse, splitting the battle of the Tigers series. DePauw improves to 14-5 overall and 6-4 in conference play, while Wittenberg falls to 8-10 overall and 4-6 in NCAC play.
 
DePauw and Wittenberg traded baskets in the opening four minutes of play; however, the Wittenberg Tigers began pulling away after back-to-back free throw attempts by Trey Killens kick-started an 11 to 7 run by Wittenberg. Despite holding the lead for 40 seconds in the first half, the DePauw Tigers kept the matchup close.
 
In the final three minutes of the first half, DePauw shut down Wittenberg's offense, while Sam Jacobs and Elijah Hales put up six points to knot the game at 36 heading into halftime.
 
Both teams shot around 60 percent from the field throughout the first half, with Wittenberg edging out DePauw from behind the arc after going 5 for 12 from the three-point line, while the DePauw Tigers were just 3 for 8.
DePauw did, however, outrebound Wittenberg 14 to 7 and had 10 points off the bench compared to Wittenberg's seven.
 
At the start of the second half, Wittenberg regained the lead with consecutive threes by Brice Hill and Levi Boettcher, putting the Wittenberg Tigers up 42-36 just a minute into the half. Hales stopped Wittenberg's run with a three of his own to close the gap to three. By the 17-minute mark, two baskets from the strike by Jacobs, followed by a layup by Camden Brown, gave DePauw a 45-44 lead, its first lead since the opening seconds of the first half.
 
Once up, the DePauw Tigers didn't look back; the combination of Grant Gohmann's dominance in the paint and Ronald Johnson's explosiveness drives from the top of the arc led to seven of DePauw's nine points scored in the middle portion of the second half.
 
DePauw stretched its lead to as much as 12 in the second half, but the Wittenberg Tigers managed to claw its way back into the game, cutting the DePauw Tigers lead to just two points with 2:59 left in the game. Fortunately for DePauw, seniors Nolan Niego and Hales helped keep the team's composure and scored eight of the last 12 points of the game, solidifying its 80-73 victory over Wittenberg.
 
Hales led the team with 27 points after going 6-for-6 from the line and 3-for-6 from the three-point line. Jacobs recorded ten points and led the team with seven rebounds, while Grant Niego finished the night with ten points and two assists.
 
Killens led the Wittenberg Tigers in points, assists, and steals; he scored 23 points, had three assists, and three steals. Wittenberg's Josh Tolliver completed the evening with 13 points, while Brice Hill added 11 from the field.
 
DePauw shot 57.4  percent from the field to Wittenberg's 54 percent, and the DePauw Tigers' bench outscored the Wittenberg Tigers 21-13. DePauw finished the evening 6-for-12 from the arc, while Wittenberg was 8-for-26.
 
DePauw travels to Hiram College on Saturday, January 28, to face the Terriers at 1 p.m. EST.