Posted by: Ryan Maurer

B.J. Harris

Andy Bucheit

The 2002-03 edition of the Wittenberg Tigers is much different than those of past years. Some faces and names remain the same, but many new contributors are seeing action during games and helping the Tigers to the top of the heap - the same place those previous editions have found themselves.

Just past the midway point of the season, the Tigers, ranked No. 23 in the just released d3hoops.com national poll, are in prime position for another quality stretch run. Standing with an 11-3 overall record and a mark of 6-0 in the North Coast Athletic Conference, Wittenberg is perched atop the conference standings with archrival Wooster. The perennial powerhouses are just one game ahead of Ohio Wesleyan and Wabash in what appears to be developing into an outstanding four-team race for the title that the Tigers have claimed outright each of the last two years. Since the last report in mid-December, Wittenberg lost to Ohio Athletic Conference power Ohio Northern on the Polar Bears' home court 82-62, but have reeled off six consecutive victories, including the last five in conference play, since then. The last non-conference victory came on Dec. 30 at Case Western Reserve, a 72-57 decision made possible by a career-high 24 points from sophomore forward Andy Bucheit (Cincinnati, Ohio/LaSalle).

The five NCAC wins have all been by at least nine points, including a crucial road win over Ohio Wesleyan last Wednesday. On Jan. 4, the Tigers trounced Oberlin at home by a final of 101-43. That game was tied 11-11 before Wittenberg went on a stunning 42-point run that stretched nearly 10 minutes on the clock. On Jan. 8, the victim was Kenyon by a final of 81-66 as senior forward/center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) poured 20 points. On Jan. 11, Hiram was defeated at the HPER Center by a final of 93-75 as senior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler) tallied a season-high 17 points.

Last week was a big one for the Tigers as they claimed a pair of road victories to set up this week's games against contenders Wabash at home and Wooster on the road. On Wednesday, Wittenberg handed Ohio Wesleyan its only NCAC loss to date, a 73-64 setback made possible by Harris' first double-double of the 2002-03 season and 53 percent shooting as a team from the field. Then on Saturday, the Tigers' inside power paid dividends once again as Denison was felled 70-48. Wittenberg broke open a close game in the first half by riding the hot hand of Longley and freshman center Daniel Russ (Louisville, Ky./Trinity), who each finished with 15 points.

Next up is the date with Wabash, which will be broadcast by Time Warner Cable at 11 p.m. Wednesday and 10 p.m. on Saturday in the Dayton/Springfield area. Subscribers are encouraged to check their local listings for the channel in their area. Then on Saturday, the Tigers travel to Wooster for their annual showdown with the Fighting Scots, who check in at No. 9 in the nation in the latest poll.

Next: 1/22 vs. Wabash, 8 p.m.
1/25 at Wooster, 7:30 p.m.

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Kate Rolf

Amber Bishop

Like the Tiger men's basketball team, the women seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time, reeling off seven wins in their last eight games, including six straight in the NCAC. As a result, the Tigers, the defending conference regular season champions, have a commanding two-game advantage in the NCAC standings as the season heads toward the stretch run.

On an individual basis, the big news was made by senior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll), who scored her 1,000th career point in the Jan. 15 win over Earlham. She became just the sixth player to reach the 1,000-point plateau. On her current pace, Rolf will likely work her way into the top four in school history in scoring. The top spot is held by Sarah Jurewicz '98 with 1,297 points.

Since the last report, Wittenberg rallied for a solid 76-70 win at Thomas More on Dec. 20 as Rolf poured in a season-high 25 points and junior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) chipped in with a season high of her own, 17 points. That win was followed 10 days later by a disappointing 73-66 loss at nationally ranked Wilmington, the preseason Ohio Athletic Conference favorite.

The NCAC portion of the 2002-03 campaign opened for the Tigers on Jan. 3 at Hiram, and Wittenberg won handily, 91-42. All 15 players in uniform scored in the game, and two freshmen, guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) and forward Joyce Dindo (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), finished with career highs in points at 12 and 10 respectively. The next day at Allegheny, Wittenberg won convincingly again as all 15 players scored at least one point and four players finished in double figures for points, led by senior forward Meghan Bruggeman (Middletown, Ohio/Fenwick) with 13.

The next four games were a huge stretch of the Tigers' season and may have started the necessary momentum for a second consecutive conference crown. Wittenberg defeated two-time defending NCAC Tournament champion Ohio Wesleyan 71-62 on Jan. 8 as senior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) showed the way with a season-high 18 points.

The next night out, the Tigers overwhelmed another title contender, taking out Denison on the road by a 75-61 count behind Bruggeman's 16 points and 15 points from junior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill). On Jan. 15, Wittenberg took the measure of a third straight NCAC contender, defeating much-improved Earlham 65-55 without leading scorer Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who missed the game because of class commitments. Balance was the key without her as four starters finished in double figures, led by Rolf with 12 points as she topped the 1,000-point plateau. Rounding things out, Keller and Bruggeman each finished with 15 points at Oberlin on Saturday as the Tigers improved to 6-0 in the conference with an 81-64 win.

NCAC action continues this week with a pair of home dates. The Wednesday night game against Kenyon will be broadcast by Time Warner Cable at 9 p.m. Wednesday and 8 p.m. on Saturday in the Dayton/Springfield area. Subscribers are encouraged to check their local listings for the channel in their area. Then on Saturday, the Tigers host Wooster.

Next: 1/22 vs. Kenyon, 6 p.m.
1/25 vs. Wooster, 2 p.m.

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Nicole Kinzeler

Kevin McAninch

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams continue to swim well against some of the top competition in the country. Opening up the stretch run of the 2002-03 season, the Tigers hosted perennial national power Denison on Saturday at the HPER Center Natatorium. While they lost by wide margins in the team competitions, both the Tiger men and women turned in some strong finishes individually.

The women lost 158-84 to fall to 4-3 on the season in dual meets. The highlight of the meet for the hosts was a pool record time of 4:37 in the 400-yard Individual Medley turned in by freshman Rebecca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County Bloomington). She was the only Tiger swimmer for either the men or women to win her event.

Also finishing strong for the women were junior Nicole Kinzeler (Centerville, Ohio/Kettering Alter), who finished second in the 200 freestyle and junior Nicole Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan), who claimed runner-up honors in the 50 free.

On the men's side, junior All-American Steve Rader (Painesville, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius) took a pair of second place finishes, in the 500 free and 100 butterfly. Both times were among the best by a Tiger swimmer this year. Junior Matt Werbach (Painesville, Ohio/Hawken) finished third in the 100 free in a strong time of 51.55. Junior captain Kyle Dunaway (Warren, Ohio/Howland) added a second in the 400 IM with a sparkling time of 4:26. And freshman Kevin McAninch (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Lancaster) chipped in with his season-best time of 11:05 in the 1,000 free.

The dual meet road gets no easier this week as the Tigers travel to NCAA Division I Wright State on Friday and then returns home for a meet against Transylvania on Saturday. Head Coach Leslie Ramsey remains optimistic that the brutal schedule she put together will reap dividends as the Tigers compete in the strongest conference meet in the nation in February.

Next: 1/24 at Wright State, 6 p.m.
1/25 vs. Transylvania, 1 p.m.

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Skip Ivery

Kristen Mumper

The Wittenberg men's and women's indoor track teams kicked off the 2003 season last weekend with a tri-meet at Otterbein on Saturday. The Tigers finished second in both the men's and women's competitions, with the host Cardinals showing the way and Muskingum falling behind the Tigers.

While Wittenberg didn't win the meet, the Tigers did have numerous strong performances. Among them were first place finishes by junior Skip Ivery (Columbus, Ohio/Groveport-Madison) in the 55-meter hurdles, sophomore Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/Toledo Christian) in the triple jump, and junior Demetrius Ellison (Cleveland, Ohio/Trinity) in the 400 meters. Collecting second-place finishes were junior Tim Damopoulos (Grove City, Ohio/Grove City) in the 1000, freshman Matt Locke (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) in the 55 hurdles, and freshman Jered Glover (Middletown, Ohio/Middletown) in the long jump and triple jump.

On the women's side, junior Kristen Mumper (Cincinnati, Ohio/Purcell Marian) took firsts in the long jump and triple jump and a second in the 55 hurdles. Junior Kelly Zilli (Dayton, Ohio/Kettering Alter) claimed a first in the 800, freshman Tracy Butler (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Homestead) finished first in the 1000 and 2nd in the 1500, sophomore Marissa Davoll (Cincinnati, Ohio/Anderson) added a second in the 300 meter hurdles, freshman Anna Finkelstein (Whitehall, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) was second in the 400 and senior Amanda Young (London, Ohio/London) was the runner-up in the high jump. Rounding things out was a first place in the 4x400 relay with Zilli, Finkelstein, Davoll and senior Abi Gerstle (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont) all taking their turns.

Next: 1/25 at Wabash Alumni Meet