SPRINGFIELD, Ohio – The Alma College men's basketball team opened the 2024-25 season on the road for a morning matchup against Wittenberg University on Saturday, November 9th. Alma battled throughout the morning and keep the game tight, though the Tigers would come away with an opening day win, defeating the Scots 73-65.
Korbin Heitzman opened the season scoring for the Scots, converting in two layups to put Alma on top early, 4-0. Wittenberg would break the ice and score their first baskets of the season, bringing the score to a 6-6 tie five minutes in. Wittenberg would take their first lead of the game shortly after that, going up by five. A quick layup and three from Duriel Mask Jr. would tie the game back up for Alma 13-13, halfway through the first half. Alma then pushed to take a multiple possession lead of their own after an 8-0 run brought the score to 25-17 in favor of the Scots. Again, the Tigers battled back and would tie the game with two minutes left in the half before Alma took a two-possession lead into the final minute. Two threes and a steal from Wittenberg would flip the lead in favor of the Tigers heading into the break, 34-32.
Wittenberg would hold onto the lead in the early minutes of the second frame, as both teams traded buckets. Alma would bring the deficit down to one, four minutes in, but it would not be until the final three minutes of regulation until the Scots would bring the deficit back to one. Wittenberg proceeded to put together an 11-4 run in the final three minutes of action, disrupting the Scots bid at a late-frame comeback. After the final buzzer, the Scots would drop the season opener 73-65 on the road.
Freshman Joss Bradley led the Scots in scoring with 13 points in the contest. Donovan Collins, Logan St. Martin, and Preston Malpass all tallied ten points each in the game to follow behind their teammate. Bradley collected six rebounds for the team-high while Jeremy Rosario dished out three assists to lead the team.
Alma's bench tallied up 33 points to Wittenberg's seven, while Alma found success in moving the ball collecting 12 team assists to the Tigers eight as a team. Alma also won the turnover battle, causing Wittenberg to lose the ball nine times to the Scots six times.
Alma will now return home and prepare for a quick turnaround as the Scots will host the Grinnell College Pioneers, in a game that saw over 200 combined points in the last meeting, on Sunday, November 10th, in Art Smith Arena. Tip-off for the home opener is scheduled for 1:00 PM.
