Wittenberg University Drops Catholic University in Men’s Basketball, 70-45

Wittenberg University Drops Catholic University in Men’s Basketball, 70-45

11/20/09

GETTYSBURG, Pa.-- David Nowicki scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, to lead Wittenberg University to a 70-45 win over Catholic University in the first round of the Days Inn Tip-Off Tournament at Bream Gymnasium on Friday.

The Tigers (2-0), who led from start to finish, will play Messiah College (2-0) in the championship game at 4 p.m. Saturday. The Falcons downed host Gettysburg College, 59-46, in the opening contest. CUA (1-2) and the Bullets (0-1) will meet in the consolation game at 2 p.m.

Nowicki, a 5-foot-9 senior guard, missed just one shot from 3-point range, to lead Wittenberg’s destruction of the Cardinals. Gregg Hill added 11 points for the Tigers, 13-13 last year and playing without two starters who also play for their football team. Clayton Black added a game-high 11 rebounds.

CUA was ice cold all night, making just 29.8 percent of its field goals, including a dismal 15.4 percent (4 of 26) from 3-point range. The Cards were 7 of 17 from the line (41.2 percent). Senior reserve forward Matt Fazzini led CUA with 14 points.

Nowicki hit three of the Tigers’ six 3-pointers in the first half to send Wittenberg into halftime leading 35-23. The Cardinals had cut the Tigers’ lead to 18-17 after preseason honorable mention All-American Jason Banzhaf scored his only basket of the game on a steal and layup.
Wittenberg scored the next 13 points and CUA went six-and-a-half minutes without finding the basket. The Cards were 2 of 15 from beyond the arc in the opening half.

The Tigers came out of the break with a game-sealing 25-4 blitz to lead 60-27 with 9:47 to go. They led by as many as 35 points before CUA ended on a 12-2 run.