Men's Basketball
2004-05 News Releases
All Releases Written By: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu
April 4, 2005
Fifty Years After Bill Edwards' Homecoming, Wittenberg Athletic Department Continues TraditionSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University athletic department of 2005 hardly resembles the Wittenberg University athletic department of 50 years ago. The watershed moment that changed the Wittenberg athletic landscape forever occurred on April 3, 1955, with the most important hiring in the department's illustrious history. Read More ...
March 23, 2005
Men's Basketball Standout Daniel Russ Caps 2005 Season With Third-Team All-America HonorsSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — After a breakout season in which he was at his best in his team's biggest games, Wittenberg University men's basketball standout Daniel Russ has been selected first-team All-Great Lakes Region and third-team All-America by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Read More ...
March 18, 2005
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Dane Borchers
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For the second straight year, John Carroll pulled out a second round tourney victory on Wittenberg's home court, this time rallying for a 75-68 double overtime victory over the fourth-ranked Tigers.
After a choppy first half, the physical game seemed to move in the Tigers' direction heading down the stretch as Wittenberg owned a held slim lead for much of the final 20 minutes. But John Carroll worked the clock in the closing seconds to force the game's sixth tie at 57-57 and force overtime.
Perhaps the biggest play of the game occurred at the outset of the first overtime period as junior NCAC Player of the Year Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) fouled out just seconds in. His absence left the Tigers lacking a key offensive and defensive weapon in the two extra sessions, and it came back to haunt Wittenberg as JCU won the rebounding battle, 15-9, in the two overtimes.
John Carroll led by as much as four in the first overtime, but the Tigers clamped down defensively to hold the Streaks scoreless in the final 3:18. Junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) tied it on a lay-up with 49 seconds left, and then the Tigers were unable to get a score on three different in-bounds plays in the final 24 seconds.
Wittenberg, which lost three of its four games in 2004-05 in overtime, just seemed to run out of steam in the second extra session. Four of Wittenberg's 15 missed three-point attempts came in the second overtime.
Junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and Brady combined for 16-of-26 shooting from the field as both met or exceeded scoring career highs in the game. While the Tigers handled the JCU pressure well, committing just 15 turnovers, they shot 17 percent from three-point range, 63 percent from the free throw line and were beaten on the boards. Borchers finished with a career-high 23 points, and he added eight rebounds and six steals. Brady capped his night with a career-high tying 20 points and eight rebounds in 34 minutes off the bench before fouling out in the waning seconds of the second overtime.
The game wrapped up the careers of four players: senior guards Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights).
Next: Season Complete
March 7, 2005
Winter Sports Athletes Claim 15 North Coast Athletic Conference Postseason AwardsSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — An outstanding winter sports season has come to a close for the 2004-05 school year, but not before 15 Wittenberg University student-athletes reaped rich rewards for their efforts as they were selected to All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams. Read More ...
March 4, 2005
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Daniel Russ
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For the fourth time in five years and an NCAA Division III-record 23rd time overall, the Tigers will spend their Spring Break competing for a national championship. After winning a pair of nail-biters last weekend at the College of Wooster to claim their fifth North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title in 16 years in the league, the Tigers earned a first-round bye in the NCAA Division III Tournament and will face John Carroll at home at 7 p.m. Saturday.
John Carroll, the 2005 regular season Ohio Athletic Conference champion and OAC Tournament runner-up, defeated Bethany, the 2005 champion of the Presidents Athletic Conference, in a first round home game Thursday. The Blue Streaks beat Wittenberg in the second round a year ago en route to an eventual third-place finish.
Wittenberg sports a 25-3 overall record and is ranked No. 4 in the latest d3hoops.com poll. Under Head Coach Bill Brown, the Tigers have made eight appearances in the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the best finish coming in 1994, his first season on the bench, as the Tigers advanced to the Final Four.
Wittenberg's 12-team bracket is arguably the most difficult of the four established to determine the four-team field that will battle for a national championship in Salem, Va. on March 18-19. Seven of the 12 teams in the bracket are ranked in the current top 25.
To reach the national tourney, the Tigers had to prove themselves in the most hostile of environments. In the NCAC Tournament semifinals, Wittenberg nearly lost its chance before rallying for a 61-53 overtime victory over the Wabash College Little Giants in a game played at the College of Wooster.
The last three times that Wittenberg had played in an NCAC Tournament hosted by Wooster, the Tigers had stumbled in the semifinals (1999 vs. Allegheny, 2000 vs. Wabash and 2002 vs. Allegheny). The 2005 tournament was nearly another footnote, but the latest edition of the Wittenberg Tigers showed some real mettle in pulling out the win, coming from 10 points down in the final 11 minutes to force overtime and finally ease past Wabash, the No. 3 seed, in overtime.
On a statistics sheet that showed two teams battling evenly throughout, the key statistic was a stunning discrepancy in free throws. Wabash did not attempt a single free throw in the game, while Wittenberg took advantage of 22 attempts by making 21, good for a percentage of 95.5. None were bigger than two foul shots by junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) with just 34 seconds remaining and the Tigers down two points.
Those two free throws tied the score at 50, capping a game-ending 17-7 run. With momentum on their side, the Tigers outscored Wabash 11-3 in overtime, the key being five straight points to open the final five minutes on two free throws by junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and a clutch three-pointer by senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle).
Wittenberg got huge games from the players it needed most, especially at crunch time. Borchers scored the Tigers' final six points in regulation - four on free throws - and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists. Russ added 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists and four blocked shots, Bucheit finished with 12 points and junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) added 10 points.
In Saturday's championship game, the Tigers turned a rare hat trick. For the third time in its men's basketball program's history, the Wooster ascended to the No. 1 ranking on a Monday only to be upset by Wittenberg the following Saturday, this time by a 61-59 margin. It was also the third time in 2004-05 that Wittenberg had beaten a No. 1 team - two wins over Wooster and one against NAIA No. 1 Cedarville in December.
Wittenberg led by as many as 10 points in the first half and held a 50-39 advantage before a furious Wooster run cut it to one point with less than five minutes remaining. The Tigers moved out to a 59-52 lead, only to have the resilient Scots score five straight points and take possession of the ball inside of the final 30 seconds.
At that point, Brady clamped down defensively in the post to force an errant shot and Bucheit collared the rebound with 11 seconds left. Then Russ, who was named NCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, stepped to the line with seven seconds remaining and calmly drained the biggest two free throws of his career, putting Wittenberg ahead by four points and sending them on to the Big Dance.
Russ, who scored 37 points against Wooster in a triple overtime loss on Feb. 12, was the go-to-player for the Tigers as he finished with 19 points. The stats were so even - 25 field each, eight three-pointers each, a five-rebound edge for Wooster, a one-turnover advantage for Wittenberg - that it came down to the charity stripe for a second straight night. Wittenberg finished 3-of-6 from the line, while Wooster was a game-changing 1-of-5.
Wittenberg picked up 12 points from Bucheit, none bigger than a three-pointer at the 4:27 mark of the second half that put the Tigers up 57-52, Brady added nine points in 21 high-quality minutes off the bench, senior guard Danny Brywcynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) chipped in with eight first-half points and Borchers finished with eight points and six boards. Finally, senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) certainly counts among the Tigers' biggest heroes after he drained a three-pointer to stop the aforementioned 11-1 second-half run and put Wittenberg up 54-50.
This week, the good news continued to roll in as Russ was named NCAC Player of the Year, the first Tiger player to claim that honor since Ryan Taylor in 2001. Russ was the Tigers' lone first-team representative as Borchers and Bucheit both earned second-team nods, the first for each in their careers.
Next: 3/5 vs. John Carroll, 7 p.m.
NCAA Division III Tournament
March 1, 2005
All-NCAC Basketball Squad Announced; Russ Named Player Of The YearCLEVELAND, Ohio — Wittenberg junior wing Daniel Russ (Louisville, KY/Trinity) has been named Player of the Year to highlight the 2005 All-North Coast Athletic Conference men's basketball squad, announced today after voting by the conference's head coaches. Read More ...
February 28, 2005
Men's Basketball Gains NCAA Division III Tournament BerthSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — At the risk of getting ahead of oneself, it may be a case of deja vu all over again. The Wittenberg Tigers, fresh off their fifth North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship gained with an exhilarating 61-59 victory over No. 1 ranked Wooster on Saturday, have been given a first-round bye in the 2005 NCAA Division III Tournament. Wittenberg will host a second round game Saturday, March 5, against the winner of a first round game between Bethany and John Carroll. Read More ...
February 25, 2005
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Dane Borchers
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The Tigers swept the two regular season meetings with Wabash and stand 23-3 overall. In the last week, Wittenberg dropped Allegheny twice, on Saturday in the regular season finale on the Gators' home floor and on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the NCAC Tournament back home in Springfield. Wittenberg ranks fifth in the nation currently, but the Tigers have slipped to third in the Great Lakes Region rankings, placing added importance on this weekend's conference tournament.
Wittenberg advanced to the NCAC Tournament semifinals for the 16th straight year (every year since joining the league in 1989) with a 74-46 victory over visiting Allegheny on Tuesday. The win was Wittenberg's 45th in 46 all-time first round conference tournament games.
For Wittenberg, the usual suspects stood out on the statistics sheet, but it was a full squad effort that led to victory. Junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) led all scorers with 21 points, as he hit 5-of-7 from the field and 11-of-12 from the free throw line, and he added four assists and three rebounds. Senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) checked in with 15 points on five three-pointers (in seven attempts) and junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) was outstanding with nine points and 15 boards, easily a game-high.
Against Allegheny on Saturday in the regular season finale, the Tigers served notice of what was to come in the tourney with a 77-47 road win. The win capped the Tigers' third 22-3 regular season in the last five years.
Wittenberg, which never trailed and led by 12 at halftime before blowing the game wide open early in the final 20 minutes, spread the wealth all over the stats sheet, starting with four players in double figures for scoring. Perhaps the best individual marks were turned in by senior guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), who finished with 12 points (on four three-pointers), six assists and no turnovers in 22 extremely productive minutes.
Russ led the Tigers in scoring with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Borchers finished with 14 points and five rebounds and Bucheit chipped in with 12 points on four three-pointers. Wittenberg, which leads the nation in rebounding margin, garnered 53 boards to just 28 for the Gators. Included in the Tigers' rebounding total was 22 offensive boards, almost as many as Allegheny gained in total.
Wittenberg and Wabash play in the first game of a doubleheader at Wooster on Friday, with the top-seeded Scots tangling with fifth-seeded Earlham in the day's second game, scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. tip-off. The winners proceed to the NCAC Tournament title game Saturday, with most expecting to see Round 3 of the NCAC's annual Clash of the Titans, namely Wittenberg vs. Wooster. The two split their regular season meetings, with the most recent meeting a 102-95 triple overtime Wooster win on the Tigers' home floor on Feb. 12.
Next: 2/25 vs. Wabash, 5:30 p.m.
NCAC Tournament Semifinals
February 18, 2005
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Daniel Russ
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That's because the Tigers' one loss in the last 17 games came in a 102-95 triple overtime thriller at home against arch-rival Wooster on Feb. 12.That defeat, which ended a five-year run of home perfection in NCAC regular season games for the Tigers, put Wittenberg one game behind the second-ranked Scots in the race for first place in the conference regular season title chase. The good news is that the Tigers slipped just one spot in the all-important Great Lakes Region rankings, from first to second, and remain in great position to earn a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament, whether or not they win the NCAC Tournament and the conference's automatic bid or not.
Against Wooster, which was the first regular season home sellout for the Tigers in 20 years, Wittenberg started out hot, draining its first four three-pointers and moving out to a 10-point first half lead and a 41-32 advantage three minutes into the second half. But Wooster battled back, and a 9-0 run turned a 54-48 Tiger advantage into a 57-54 Scot lead. Down the stretch, it was an amazing see-saw battle, featuring four ties in the final 3:55, the last one forged when junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) knocked down a pair of free throws with just 10 seconds left in the game.
The two teams battled through nine more ties encompassing three thrilling overtime periods before Wooster finally gained the upper hand for good by scoring the game's final seven points in the final 1:23. Junior post Dan Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) had the finest game of his collegiate career as he scored 37 points, the most for a Wittenberg player since Rod Emmons dropped 38 at Wabash in an overtime win two years ago and the second-highest point total in the HPER Center, just three short of Steve Iannarino's 40 points in 1987. Senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) and junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) finished with 14 points each and Borchers chipped in with 12 points and five rebounds. Brady and Russ shared game rebound honors with nine each.
The Tigers' most recent game was a hard-fought 65-53 home victory Wednesday against Ohio Wesleyan. Wittenberg pushed the lead into double digits several times late in the first half before settling for a 37-28 halftime lead, and then the Tigers put the game away in the game's waning moments with eight straight points to expand a 55-50 lead to 63-50.
The Tigers were led by Bucheit's 17 points, including five first-half three-pointers, and four rebounds, while Russ and Borchers wreaked their usual havoc in the paint. Russ finished with 12 points and five rebounds, including four on the offensive end, and Borchers capped his day with eight points and 12 boards, including six offensive. For the game, Wittenberg, the top team in the nation in terms of rebounding margin and team defense, finished with a commanding 17-rebound advantage in the battle of the boards.
On Feb. 9, the Tigers took care of business with a 78-54 victory at Earlham. Already guaranteed its 36th straight winning season (48th straight non-losing season), the Tigers reached the 20-win plateau for the fifth straight year and the ninth time in Head Coach Bill Brown's 12 seasons at the helm.
Wittenberg jumped out to a huge lead with a balanced, fundamentally sound zone offense and stifling, aggressive defense. After leading by as much as 24, the Tigers settled into the locker room at halftime with a commanding 40-18 margin. In the second half, the lead stretched to 32 points in the second half. Offensively, Wittenberg spread the wealth as Bucheit drained four first-half three-pointers en route to a team-high 17 points to lead four double-figures scorers. Borchers added 15 and five boards and Russ and Brady both finished with 14 tallies. Russ also had five rebounds.
Rounding things out, the Tigers canned 21 three-pointers to break the school and North Coast Athletic Conference record for treys in a game in a 106-60 win over Hiram on Feb. 5. Wittenberg never trailed, building a 45-27 halftime lead and never looking back. In the second half, the Tiger reserves poured it on with three triples by sophomore wing Brandan Barabino (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) and the record-breaker by freshman wing Lance Frank (Ashland, Ohio/Ashland) inside the final two minutes.
The Tigers were led by Bucheit, who made 6-of-10 from the field - all three-point attempts - and finished with 20 points. He had plenty of support, including season-high point totals from Brady with 16 and sophomore guard Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) with 11, in addition to senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) and his 10 tallies. The Tigers hit nearly 61 percent from the floor, including a blistering 21-of-35 clip from three-point range, and they also handily claimed the rebounding battle by a 41-28 margin.
The Tigers close the 2004-05 regular season with a road trip to Allegheny Saturday for a 3 p.m. tip-off. The quarterfinal round of the NCAC Tournament opens on home sites of the higher seeded teams on Tuesday, Feb. 22. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 25, and the championship game is Saturday, Feb. 26. The highest remaining seed in the tournament earns the right to host the semifinals and finals.
It is most likely that the Gators will make the trip to Springfield for a re-match with Wittenberg in the quarterfinals as the No. 7 seed. Barring a Wooster loss Saturday against Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg is locked into the No. 2 seed reserved for the regular season runner-up, win or lose against Allegheny in the regular season finale.
Next: 2/19 @ Allegheny, 3 p.m.
February 11, 2005
Much At Stake In Men's Basketball Game Saturday At WittenbergSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — With the 2004-05 regular season coming to a close the Wittenberg Tigers are trying to edge their way into first place in the North Coast Athletic Conference. The Tigers return home after a hard-fought victory over Earlham in Richmond, Ind. on Wednesday tied for first place in the NCAC and riding high with a 15-game winning streak. Read More ...
February 4, 2005
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Phil Steffes
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Ranked ninth in the nation, the Tigers are doing primarily with rebounding, defense and fundamentals, an equation that could propel this veteran team to postseason heights not seen in these parts since 1994 and the Final Four team of Head Coach Bill Brown's first season at the helm of the Red & White. Wittenberg ranks in the top three nationally and first in the conference in rebounding margin (+13) and defense (holding opponents to 54 points per game). Amazingly, the Tigers have not allowed more than 51 points in a game since the calendar flipped to 2005.
On Jan. 24, Wittenberg showed no ill-effects of a two-day delay due to a major snowstorm, knocking off Hiram by a 78-46 score on the Terriers' home court. The Tigers improved to 47-2 all-time against Hiram and have never lost to the Terriers since they joined the NCAC in 2000.
The Tigers raced out to an 8-0 lead to start the game and never looked back. By halftime, Wittenberg stretched the lead to 25-14, and then in the second half, an 18-4 run midway through the frame put things out of reach. Wittenberg showed tremendous offensive balance, led by junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) with 11 points and six rebounds. Junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) added 11 points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes off the bench, senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) chipped in with 10 points and four boards, junior guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) finished with 10 points and junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) was solid as usual with eight points and a game-high eight rebounds.
Just two days later, the Tigers ended Earlham's five-game win streak with a 75-48 defeat of the Quakers. It marked five full years without an NCAC regular season home loss for the Tigers.
Wittenberg never trailed in the game, but Earlham was within striking distance until midway through the second half. A 10-0 Wittenberg run, highlighted by a thunderous Russ putback dunk at the 7:41 mark, helped the Tigers increase their lead from 25 points. Russ scored a team-high 18 points, and he also added a game-high nine rebounds. Senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) contributed 12 points, and Borchers scored 11 points. As a team Wittenberg was 17-of-18 from the free throw line, including Russ' 10-of-10.
Perhaps the biggest game of the last two weeks was an 87-49 statement against the Denison Big Red on Jan. 29. Two months after upsetting Wittenberg on its home court, 89-79 in double overtime, Denison trailed Wittenberg, 9-8, in the first seven minutes of the game. Then the Tigers' offense came alive with a 19-2 run coming out of a timeout. In racing out to a 30-point lead by halftime, Wittenberg had runs of 16-0 and 14-0.
Borchers had a team-high 15 points, shooting 6-of-7 from the field. Two players added 12 points each for the Tigers, Bucheit, who also went 6-of-7 from the field, and Brady, who shot 4-of-5. Molz added 11 points. As a team, Wittenberg was customarily dominant on the boards, outrebounding the Big Red 48-21 as Borchers contributed eight rebounds.
Rounding things out, the Wittenberg Tigers won a defensive struggle, 56-48, at Wabash on Feb. 2, hardly a surprise in a game between the top two defensive teams in the NCAC.
Wabash led most of the first half and took a 21-17 advantage into the locker room. But the Tigers tied the game almost immediately in the second half and then put together a key 9-2 run a few moments later to take a lead they would never relinquish. Borchers had his best game of late, pouring in 21 points and seven rebounds to the cause. Bucheit added 10 points, all in the second half, and Molz added nine tallies off the bench.
The Tigers are back at it against Hiram on Saturday and then on the road at Earlham on Feb. 9, their final two tune-ups for the Feb. 12 home showdown with Wooster. Both teams are ranked in the top 10 nationally.
Next: 2/5 vs. Hiram, 4 p.m.
January 21, 2005
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Daniel Russ
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Wittenberg, ranked 13th in the nation, improved to 14-2 overall and 6-1 in the North Coast Athletic Conference with its two biggest wins to date, road victories over Wooster on Jan. 15 and Ohio Wesleyan on Jan. 19. The Tigers are riding a nine-game win streak, dating back to a double overtime loss at Denison on Dec. 11. The win over Wooster, which was ranked No. 1 at the time, was especially sweet as it pulled the Tigers even in the conference title chase.
Against Wooster, the top-ranked defense in the NCAC met the top-ranked offense, and in the end the latter proved no match as the Tigers stunned previously unbeaten arch-rival Wooster on its home floor, 69-51.
Wittenberg won the second-half rebounding battle, 21-10, and ended the game with an 11-board advantage, one short of the team's average that ranks third nationally and first in the NCAC. The Tigers held Wooster to 29 percent shooting for the game and finished things off in fine fashion with a 20-of-22 free throw shooting performance, including 8-of-8 in the final two minutes.
Junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) led all scorers with 16 points, and he added five rebounds. Junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) added 14 points and six boards, senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) chipped in with 12 points and three rebounds, senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) capped his night with 12 points and four boards off the bench and junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) wound up with nine points and four caroms in 22 effective minutes off the pine.
The Tigers now have two wins over No. 1 ranked teams in 2004-05 after beating NAIA Division II poll leader Cedarville on Dec. 4 and NCAA Division III poll leader Wooster on Jan. 15. It was the second time in six years that Wooster has spent exactly one week at No. 1, and each time the Tigers have ended that brief reign with a win on the Scots' home court. In addition, 1973 Wittenberg graduate Steve Moore, Wooster's head coach, was denied his 400th career win, a milestone he instead reached on Jan. 19 in a win over Hiram. Wittenberg, which has the best record in the NCAC since 2000, has defeated Wooster eight times in the last nine regular season meetings.
Against Ohio Wesleyan, the Tigers kept the momentum going, wearing down the Bishops on their home court, 61-49. The key to the game was post play, as it usually is for the Tigers. Wittenberg held OWU's frontline in check while pounding away on the offensive end with a combined 32 points and 26 rebounds from Borchers and Russ.
Russ, a second-team all-conference honoree in 2004 and the reigning NCAC Player of the Week, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Borchers had one of the finest games of his career with 18 points and 15 boards. The Tigers wore OWU down, allowing just 22 second-half points, including a 1-of-12 performance from three-point range after the Bishops hit 7-of-16 in the first half. Wittenberg, which ranks second nationally in team defense at 54.9 points per game, is back in action on Saturday at Hiram, the final game of a tough 10-day string of road games. After that, the Tigers are home for four of five games, starting with a Jan. 26 date with the Earlham College Quakers.
Next: 1/22 at Hiram, 6 p.m.
January 13, 2005
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Kenny Brady
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Wittenberg, which hasn't lost a regular season NCAC home game in five years, improved to 12-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference with wins in the last week over Oberlin on Saturday and Wabash on Wednesday. Next up is a road date with the No. 1-ranked Scots.
The Tigers lead the series 46-37, including two wins in three tries a year ago. Wittenberg captured both regular season meetings before Wooster put it all together in the NCAC Tournament final, defeating the Tigers on their home floor, 100-71. Interestingly, Wittenberg is the only NCAC team to beat Wooster in the last six years, a feat they have accomplished nine times during that span.
The Tigers tuned up for Wooster with a 59-40 victory over visiting Wabash. Wittenberg scored the game's first eight points and took a commanding 30-13 lead into the locker room for halftime. The key was forcing the Little Giants into just 16 percent shooting from the field. In the second half the lead never dipped below 15 points.
The Tigers put four players in double figures as they displayed a solid offensive game. Junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) led all players with 16 points and seven rebounds. He was ably backed by junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) with 13 points in a season-high 23 minutes off the bench, junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) with 11 points and five rebounds and senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) with 10 points.
Wittenberg shot 49 percent from the field in the game and won the rebounding battle 36-30. Wabash, on the other hand, managed just 30 percent shooting from the field for the entire game, including a 2-of-15 performance from beyond the arc.
Against Oberlin, Wittenberg scored the first nine points of the game and were off to the races and a 100-50 home victory.
Wittenberg shot 56 percent from the field, 50 percent from three-point range and 83 percent from the free throw line on the way to the huge victory.
Five Wittenberg players reached double figures in the game, led by Russ, who had his way in the paint en route to game-highs of 22 points and eight rebounds. Bucheit was hot from three-point range, hitting 5-of-9 to finish with 15 points, Brady hit for 14 points and seven rebounds and senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) and Borchers each contributed 10 points to the winning effort. Also of note, sophomore guard Brandan Barabino (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit) added nine points in eight minutes off the bench and junior guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) was solid with four points, four assists and six boards.
The Yeomen were outrebounded 44-21 by the taller Tigers and committed five more turnovers in the game. Wittenberg was credited with a season-high 27 assists, although no player finished with more than four.
Next: 1/15 at Wooster, 7:30 p.m.
January 6, 2005
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Kenny Molz
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The Tigers came out of the Christmas break with the best present possible - a first-place trophy in their home tournament. They started out with a convincing 77-47 victory over Purdue Calumet, thanks in part to 55 percent shooting from the field, including 11-of-22 from the three-point line. After streaking to a 17-3 lead to open the game, Wittenberg held a 33-15 halftime advantage and then poured it on in the second half. Topping the Tigers were junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and senior point guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) with 14 points apiece. Senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) added 11 points. Borchers was tops with five rebounds and senior point guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) was solid with eight points, two steals and four assists with no turnovers.
The next night, the Tigers captured the tournament title for the 20th time in 23 tries as they defeated Taylor, 54-47. Taylor, ranked 17th in the Dec. 14 NAIA Division II national poll, became the fourth NAIA scholarship program to visit the HPER Center and lose to the host Tigers.
The Tigers scored the final nine points of the first half to turn a five-point deficit into a four-point halftime lead and then held on through the final 20 minutes. Wittenberg won the rebounding battle, 26-21, and shot 47 percent from the field, including 11-of-19 in the first half and 6-of-11 from three-point range in the game.
Wittenberg got a combined 30 points and 11 rebounds from the Borchers and junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity). Borchers, the Tournament MVP, finished with 17 points and six boards, while Russ contributed 13 points and five caroms to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Molz joined them on the all-tournament team after scoring eight points and three rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in the finals.
Wittenberg capped the nonconference portion of the 2004-05 schedule with an important 65-53 road victory over Otterbein on Monday. That gave the Tigers a 3-0 record against in-region nonconference opponents - with all three wins coming against Ohio Athletic Conference powerhouse programs on their home floors.
Otterbein held its only lead of the entire gameless than three minutes into the game, but Wittenberg answered that with a six-point run. The game was tied on two other occasions, but the Tigers eased out to a four-point halftime advantage and clinched it with a clutch 13-5 game-ending run.
Russ led the Tigers with 13 points and Borchers added 11 points and 12 rebounds. Bucheit chipped in with 10 points and 10 rebounds, junior guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) had one of his best games with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, and senior guard Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights) added five points and two key second-half rebounds off the bench.
Rounding things out, the Tigers defeated Kenyon for the 80th time in 89 meetings, this time by a whopping 76-28 margin on Wednesday.
Wittenberg scored 14 of the game's first 16 points and never looked back, reaching what turned out to be the magical 28-point plateau at the 8:32 mark of the first half on a three-pointer by sophomore guard Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights). At that point, the lead was 28-11 and it stretched to 40-14 by halftime and, thanks to a 6-0 game-ending run, to its final 48-point margin.
Russ led the way with 16 points and seven rebounds, Bowen finished with 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field (including three 3-pointers), and Steffes added eight points and eight rebounds.
Next: 1/8 vs. Oberlin, 3 p.m.
December 28, 2004
Wittenberg University Basketball Teams Host Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic Dec. 29-30SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams welcome an outstanding field of eight teams for the 2004 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic. This year's competition is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 29, and Thursday, Dec. 30, at Wittenberg's HPER Center. Games for both days are scheduled for 1, 3, 6 and 8 p.m. Read More ...
December 23, 2004
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Daniel Russ
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Wittenberg wrapped up the early portion of the season with a 67-62 road win over perennial powerhouse Ohio Northern on Tuesday night. The win improved the 24th-ranked Tigers to 6-2 overall, and it was Wittenberg's first win on Ohio Northern's home court this century after a pair of 20-point losses in 2001 and 2002.
After leading by as many as nine points in the first half, the Tigers fell behind by five points in the second half, thanks to a 19-9 Ohio Northern run. Wittenberg responded with a clutch 8-0 run, however, as junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) buried the game-tying three-pointer and senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) put Wittenberg in front to stay with a triple on the ensuing possession with just over seven minutes to play.
The lead was narrowed to one point in the waning moments, but late baskets by junior guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) and Bucheit kept the Tigers on top. Russ finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, his second double-double of the season, junior post Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) concluded his night with 17 points and nine rebounds off the bench and Bucheit chipped in 10 points.
The win over Ohio Northern offered some small consolation for a surprising defeat 10 days earlier at Denison. For the first time since 1997 and just the second time in the last 65 meetings, the Big Red defeated the Tigers, breaking a 17-game losing streak with an 89-79 double-overtime win.
Wittenberg led by as much as 11 in the first half before the Big Red put together a 20-8 run going into the locker room at halftime, capped by a long three-pointer just before the buzzer. In the second half, the Tigers had to put together a furious rally in the closing minutes to force overtime, coming from seven points down on a three-pointer by senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), an offensive rebound and putback by senior guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) and a clutch trey by Bucheit with eight seconds remaining.
A turnover with 42 seconds left in the first overtime and the Tigers leading by one may have been the key play of the game, forcing Borchers to hit a game-tying jumper with 22 seconds left. But in the second overtime period, Borchers became the third Tiger post player to foul out of the game, and from that point Denison outscored the visitors 11-1.
Wittenberg was led by Borchers with 18 points and nine rebounds and Russ with 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting from the field in just 18 foul-plagued minutes. Brywczynski added 12 points and five assists, and Bucheit contributed 11 points and seven rebounds. The Tigers attempted 30 more shots in the game, thanks to a three-rebound advantage (including 18 offensive caroms) and an 11-foul differential, which led to 31-of-37 from the foul line for Denison.
That loss came on the heels of a 77-68 home victory on Dec. 8 over neighboring rival Cedarville, the No. 1 ranked team in NAIA Division II at the time. After losing to the Yellow Jackets by a combined total of three points the last two years, this time the Tigers played suffocating defense to keep the high-octane Yellow Jackets in check.
Wittenberg responded to a 15-2 Cedarville run midway through the second half with a 15-2 run of its own, keyed largely by fine defense that forced three missed shots and two turnovers. Down the stretch, Wittenberg made 8-of-10 free throws to seal the win.
Russ led with 23 points, four rebounds, two blocked shots and three steals, and Bucheit enjoyed his best offensive game in two years as he threw down 21 points. Borchers turned in the best stat line with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and six blocked shots, one of the highest blocks totals in the decade-plus since 1991 NCAA Division III Player of the Year Brad Baldridge posted his school-record 10.
To round things out, the Tigers played perhaps their most complete game on Dec. 4 as they opened defense of their 2004 NCAC championship with an 83-54 demolition of visiting Allegheny. Wittenberg sprinted out of the gate and effectively ended things early, stretching the lead to 26-8 with four minutes remaining in the first half and 36-14 by intermission. Borchers led all scorers with a career-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocked shots, and Russ dropped in 13 points, including three dunks, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals. Also reaching double figures was sophomore wing Brandan Barabino (Toledo, Ohio/St. John's Jesuit), who scored 11 points in just five minutes of action off the bench.
The Tigers return to action on Dec. 29-30 when they host the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic. They will be joined by NAIA scholarship programs Purdue-Calumet, Taylor and Walsh. The latter two teams are both nationally ranked at present.
Next: 12/29 vs. Purdue-Calumet, 8 p.m.
Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic
November 29, 2004
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Dane Borchers
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The season opened with a 73-55 win over Whittier on Nov. 19 in the opening game of the Lopata Classic. Senior wing Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle) set the tone with a three-pointer to open the game and the Tigers never looked back. Wittenberg never gave up the lead, easing out to a 33-25 halftime lead and then putting the game away with a 17-2 run midway through the second half that stretched a five-point lead into a 55-35 advantage.
Bucheit and senior guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) each drained four three-pointers in the game and finished with 16 and 14 points respectively. As a team, the Tigers were scalding hot with 12-of-16 three-point shooting. Junior post players Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) were solid on the interior as a balance to the hot outside shooting. Borchers started and finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Russ, nursing a leg injury, finished with 10 boards off the bench.
In the championship game, Washington University held off a second-half charge from the Tigers to claim a 69-66 victory.
The Bears eased out to a 35-29 lead going into the locker room at halftime. The Tigers never led in the second half, but a lay-up by Borchers, who went for 14 points and seven rebounds, cut the lead to 50-47 with 8:39 left, and Russ later scored on three consecutive possessions to make it 65-64 with 51 seconds remaining. The Bears hit four free throws down the stretch, however, to hold on for the win.
It was the Bears' fifth straight Lopata Classic title, and the win avenged last year's Wittenberg win in the championship game of the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic.
The Tigers won the rebounding battle, 43-28, including a 19-4 advantage on the offensive glass. Russ finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Bucheit chipped in with 15 points and five boards and Brywczynski added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists. Borchers and Bucheit made the all-tournament team.
Against Capital, it was just one of those nights. The Tigers shot better than 60 percent from the field and outrebounded the homestanding Crusaders by 19 in a surprisingly comfortable 75-46 victory.
The Tigers pulled out to a seven-point lead by halftime and then kicked it into overdrive in the final 20 minutes to run away with the huge win. The key was a 13-0 Tiger run to open the second half, a scoring outburst that opened a 20-point cushion. Russ finished with 19 points and six rebounds in the game and Borches added 16 points and nine boards. Junior guard Phil Steffes (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) turned in six points on 2-of-3 shooting from three-point range, three rebounds and four assists, and senior guard Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) was solid off the bench with eight points and three assists.
For the game, Wittenberg shot a sizzling 61 percent from the field, including 7-of-15 from beyond the three-point line. The rebounding margin was a staggering 43-24.
Rounding things out, the Tigers took it to neighboring NAIA rival Urbana, 89-65, in a physical home opener on Saturday. After Urbana scored the first basket of the game, the Tigers scored the next 10 points. The lead stretched to 20 points as the Tigers scored the last five points of the half on a three-pointer by Borchers and a breakaway dunk by Russ with 25 seconds left.
In the second half, Urbana could draw no closer than 16. For the game, Wittenberg shot 53 percent, including a blistering 64 percent in the field half, compared to Urbana's 37 percent for the game and 25 percent for the opening 20 minutes.
Wittenberg, which opens the 2004-05 North Coast Athletic Conference schedule with a home date with Allegheny on Dec. 4, showed great offensive balance. Borchers led with 17 points, Steffes added a career-high 16 on 6-of-9 shooting from the field and four three-pointers, Russ and Bucheit finished with 15 tallies apiece and sophomore post Jack Hemenway (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) was outstanding with career-highs of 10 points and eight rebounds.
Next: 12/4 vs. Allegheny, 3 p.m.
November 11, 2004
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Danny Brywczynski
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Wooster, winner of five of the last six NCAC Tournament titles under Head Coach Steve Moore, Wittenberg Class of 1972, was selected first by nine of the 10 coaches in the conference and 21 of the 25 media members. Wittenberg, which has won three of the last four NCAC regular season titles under Head Coach Bill Brown, Wittenberg Class of 1973, was a near unanimous choice in both polls to finish in second place.
The Tigers, coming off a 24-5 overall record in 2003-04 that included an NCAA Division III record 22nd trip to the national tournament, received the other first-place vote in the coaches poll and two first-place nods in the media balloting. Kenyon, led by Head Coach Matt Croci, Wittenberg Class of 1994, received one first-place vote, and Oberlin took the other.
Wittenberg returns 10 letterwinners in 2004-05, among that number are three starters - senior point guard Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), junior post Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity) and junior wing Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading). They open the season with two games at the Washington University Lopata Classic in St. Louis, Mo., on Nov. 19-20.
Next: 11/19-20 at Washington U. Inv.
November 4, 2004
Wittenberg Men's and Women's Basketball Teams Picked To Finish Among Leaders in Conference Preseason PollsSPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams both captured North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships with perfect 16-0 records, so it's hardly surprising that both teams were given a great deal of respect in the 2004-05 NCAC preseason polls conducted during today's media day conference call. Read More ...
October 29, 2004
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Brett Bowen
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The Tigers lose two starters - first-team All-NCAC forward Peter Walker and shooting guard Rod Emmons - from last year's team, which earned a record 22nd NCAA Division III Tournament berth. Plenty of talent remains, however, starting with senior guards Danny Brywczynski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont), Brett Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights), Kenny Molz (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) and Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle). Brywczynski broke the school record for three-point shooting percentage (.492) and led the team in assists a year ago, Bowen missed last season due to injury after lettering in 2002-03, Molz ranked among the team leaders in assists and steals, and Bucheit topped the team in three-pointers with 44. They are joined in a crowded backcourt by sophomores Billy Bowen (Arcadia, Ind./Hamilton Heights), who shot 42 percent from three-point range, and Pat Denbow (Louisville, Ky./St. Xavier).
While the Tigers are loaded with backcourt options, the season may well rest on the performance of an extremely talented group of post players. The top returnee is junior Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity), who led Wittenberg in rebounding and blocked shots and earned second-team All-NCAC honors in 2004, his first season as a starter. He is the team's top returning scorer at 12.2 points per game.
Juniors Dane Borchers (Russia, Ohio/Russia) and Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) are also established players after breakout 2003-04 seasons. Borchers averaged 5.8 points and 3.8 rebounds off the bench after missing all of the previous season with a back injury. Brady ranked among the team leaders in almost every statistical category en route to second-team All-NCAC honors in 2003-04. He emerged as a kind of point-forward, distributing the ball from the top of the key in many of the team's set plays.
The season starts on Nov. 19-20 at the Washington University Lopata Classic. The Tigers are matched up with Whittier College in the opening game on Nov. 19.
Next: 11/19-20 at Washington U. Inv.
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Non-discriminatory Policy Web Use Policy & Disclaimer Privacy Policy
© 2007 Wittenberg University