GAMBIER, Ohio – The Wittenberg University Tigers pounded the paint Saturday afternoon and were rewarded with a continual march to the free throw line, where they drained 26-of-32 shots and chalked up a 74-61 North Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball victory over the host Kenyon College Ladies.

Both teams showed they wanted to run in the first quarter, combining for 44 points. Wittenberg got ahead by as many as six points late in the quarter, but a bucket from Kenyon senior Paige Matijasich cut the Tigers' lead to 24-20.

Things slowed down in the second quarter with Wittenberg posting a 13-8 advantage. The two teams combined for just eight field goals. In the middle of the quarter, the Tigers built some separation with a 9-0 run in which Nora Hopkins canned a three-pointer and later sank a pair of free throws. By halftime, the Tigers were a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line and owned a 37-28 lead.

The second half unfolded pretty much the same way. The teams cranked up the offense in the third quarter and then backed off in the fourth. On three separate occasions in the third quarter, Kenyon pulled to within five points of Wittenberg. The Tigers, however, continued to drive to the hoop, score buckets in the paint, draw fouls, and make free throws.

Trailing 60-48 heading into the final quarter of play, the Ladies were forced to foul. The Tigers went to the line 15 times over the final five minutes of play and made 10 of those free throws. Kenyon, which was 9-of-13 at the line for the game, could not pull any closer than eight points.

Matijasich ended the game with her fourth double-double of the season, tallying team-highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Grace Connery added 16 points and junior Ellie Schaub chipped in with 14 points for a Kenyon team that slipped to 3-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Junior guard Delaney Williams led the Tigers' charge. She scored a game-high 23 points. She was 5-of-7 from the floor and 13-of-18 at the free throw line. Korynne Berner and Riley Culver were both 4-of-4 at the line. Berner wound up with 14 points, while Culver had six points and a team-high nine rebounds for Wittenberg, which improved to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in the NCAC.