Posted by: Ryan Maurer

Andy Pope

John Hauser

If turnovers are a football coach's worst nightmare then Wittenberg Head Coach Joe Fincham likely has some sleepless night ahead. He will surely be reliving Saturday's 25-14 loss at Wabash College in the swirling snow and chilling winds of Byron P. Hollett Stadium for some time to come.

Wittenberg controlled most of the statistics in the game and put up nothing short of a valiant effort, especially on defense. But, their ranks thinned to the point of no return by a slew of debilitating injuries, the Tigers couldn't overcome eight turnovers, including five fumbles and three interceptions, the last of which was returned for the clinching touchdown midway through the fourth quarter.

Following a scoreless first quarter, Wittenberg got on the board first. Freshman wide receiver Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) made a diving catch in the end zone on a perfectly thrown pass by senior quarterback Greg Cornett (Franklin, Ohio/Franklin) that covered 31 yards. Wabash responded with an 18-yard touchdown pass with 5:44 left in the half on a fourth-and-15 play.

After a diving second-quarter interception by senior linebacker Andy Pope (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota East), the Tigers drove 65 yards in 12 plays to set up a short field goal attempt that was blocked and stunted some momentum the Tigers had generated. Despite dominating the halftime statistics, Wittenberg went into the locker room tied at seven thanks to two fumbles and an interception.

The second half was dramatic until the last five minutes, when the biggest Tiger injury yet and more turnovers turned the tide. Wabash took a 13-7 lead with 2:34 left in the third quarter, but senior defensive back John Hauser (Columbus, Ohio/Hartley) blocked the extra point. On the ensuing possession, Wittenberg put together another long drive but committed another turnover and lost Cornett on the play to biceps tendinitis.

After senior linebacker Ryan Gresham (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor) made an interception at his own 14-yard-line, Wittenberg back-up quarterback Kurt Forrest (Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg) was blitzed and stripped of the football on his first two pass attempts, leading to two Wabash scores in just 20 seconds. Wittenberg never quit, however, rounding out the scoring on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Forrest to junior wide receiver Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) with 2:30 remaining.

Individually, it was a fitting performance for senior tailback Daniel Grove (Uhrichsville, Ohio/Claymont), who became the first person to go over 100 yards against Wabash this season. He finished with 147 yards on 30 carries, the fourth time in his career that he had surpassed the century mark in an NCAA Division III Playoff game. Cornett finished 18-of-31 for 142 yards and touchdown, and Glover had 10 receptions for 87 yards.

On defense, Gresham showed the way with 10 total tackles, including three for loss, an interception and two quarterback hurries. Senior linebacker Dustin Goldsbury (Columbus, Ohio/Ready) finished with eight tackles, including one for a loss of six yards, and senior defensive end Jim Lackmeyer (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) chipped in with six total tackles, including 3.5 for a loss of 13 yards.

Next: Season Complete

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Kenny Brady

Peter Walker

The Tiger men's basketball team rolled to the championship of the Coca-Cola/Wal-Mart Classic at Franklin College last weekend, defeating a pair of 2002 NCAA Division III Tournament teams in St. Norbert and Franklin.

Against St. Norbert in the semifinals, the Tigers trailed just once, 3-2, before going on a 17-0 run and cruising to a 74-58 victory. Freshman forward Kenny Brady (Reading, Ohio/Reading) keyed the run with two straight lay-ups and eight points overall. Junior forward Peter Walker (Lousville, Ky./St. Xavier) also played an important role, adding seven points, including the three-pointer at the 13:05 mark that capped the run. The Tigers expanded the lead to as much as 19 before going into the locker room with a 43-32 lead.

St. Norbert got the lead under 10 just once in the second 20 minutes, but Wittenberg controlled the action. The Tigers shot 49 percent from the field, including 8-of-18 from the three-point range, and they dominated the boards, winning that battle 43-31. Walker led Wittenberg with 16 points and Brady added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Wittenberg claimed the tourney title by defeating the host team on Saturday 69-59. Wittenberg never trailed after scoring the first five points, but the game was close. After opening up a lead of as much as 19 points in the first half, Wittenberg had to scratch out the win after Franklin tied things at 50-50 with 11:41 left in the game. From that point, the Tigers went on a 19-9 run, keyed by eight points by Walker on two three-pointers and two free throws, and two baskets by senior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who was playing in his first game of the season due to a foot injury.

The Tigers won the battle of the boards 36-31 and shot 51 percent from the field (28 of 55), including 8-of-16 from three-point range. Walker led all scorers with 20 points and junior guard Rod Emmons (South Bend, Ind./John Adams) chipped in with 16 after draining four three-pointers.

The Tigers' senior forward tandem of B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) and Longley added 20 points (10 apiece). Harris and sophomore guard Danny Brywczinski (Dayton, Ohio/Northmont) shared rebounding honors with seven each. Walker was named Tournament Most Valuable Player for his outstanding efforts in the two games.

Next: 12/3 vs. Cedarville, 7:30 p.m.

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Meghan Bruggeman

Stephanie Campbell

The Tiger women's basketball team rebounded from its first loss of the 2002-03 season with a 79-62 defeat of visiting Capital University last Tuesday.

Wittenberg took control from the outset. The Tigers scored 15 of the game's first 20 points and never looked back, eventually pulling away by as much as 21 points late in the second half.

The difference in the game was shooting percentage. Capital managed just 29.4 percent from the floor, including a 1-for-14 performance from beyond the three-point line. Wittenberg shot 40 percent from the floor, including 4-of-12 from three-point range.

Wittenberg put three players in double figures, led for a third straight game by senior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who hit for 16 points to lead all scorers. Senior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Fenwick) hit for 15 points, including 6-of-7 from the free throw line, and senior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) also drained 15 points. Bruggeman and Campbell shared rebounding honors with seven each.

Next: 12/3 at Baldwin-Wallace, 5 p.m.