Daniel Russ

The Wittenberg men's basketball team has risen to No. 5 in the national rankings and run its record to 21-3 overall and 13-2 in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Good, but not yet enough for a team with the highest of high expectations.

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.

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Ellie Stonecash

The Wittenberg women's basketball team has taken some body blows, but like any good fighter, the Tigers can't be counted out. With a roster dominated by underclassmen, the Tigers have shown steady improvement with flashes of outstanding play mixed in and now stand at 15-9 overall and 11-4 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.

The 2004-05 regular season concludes Saturday with a road trip to Ohio Wesleyan for a 2 p.m. tip-off. The Tigers are in a second-place tie in the NCAC, two games behind Kenyon, which has clinched first place and home court advantage for the upcoming conference tournament. With a win, the Tigers can finish no worse than third, but a loss could drop Wittenberg as low as fifth and send the Tigers on the road for the NCAC Tournament quarterfinals for the first time ever in 16 seasons as a conference member.

Three wins in the last four games have allowed the Tigers to keep pace in a crowded four-team race for second place in the NCAC regular season. They also guaranteed Wittenberg a 16th straight winning seasons.

Most recently, Wittenberg used a big second half to turn away a challenge from last-place Earlham in a 68-41 victory on Feb. 16. The Tigers took a 20-15 halftime lead, but Earlham rallied to tie the game at 24. The Tigers responded with a 13-2 run, and the lead slowly stretched from there. Wittenberg closed the game on a 13-1 run as numerous reserves saw extensive playing time and made the most of it.

Three Tiger players stood out at the offensive end, led by freshman guard Ellie Stonecash (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown Fenwick), who finished with a career-high 19 points. Sophomore post Kathy Hittle (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) finished with 16 points and a game-high eight rebounds and senior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) scored nine of her 11 points in the second half and added four boards.

On Senior Day, the Tigers send Schmid and guard Alison Nahrup (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) out in style as they defeated visiting Wooster, 64-61, on Feb. 12. As the final score suggests, the Tigers hardly enjoyed the kind of joyride they had a month earlier when Wittenberg sprinted out to a stunning 39-4 lead en route to a 79-43 victory on the Scots' home floor.

Wittenberg led 31-24 at half, but the Scots rallied to tie the game with two minutes left. Junior guard Brittany Landreth (Valparaiso, Ind./Valparaiso), who had a career-high eight points, bailed the Tigers out with the game-winning free throws with 1:23 remaining.

The Tigers were led by Hittle with game-highs of 16 points and nine rebounds. Schmid chipped in with 11 points and eight rebounds. Wittenberg won the rebounding battle, 39-29, with none bigger than offensive boards off missed free throws inside the final minute by freshman post Ali Rohlfs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Mount Notre Dame) and Hittle.

The three-game win streak started with a Feb. 5 home victory Hiram, 84-50. After leading by 13 points at halftime, the Tigers outscored their visitors 46-25 in the final 20 minutes. Wittenberg's starters played just five minutes each in the second half and 11 minutes total in the game as all 15 Wittenberg players in uniform saw at least 10 minutes of action and 13 scored at least two points.

Wittenberg pulled down 58 boards to just 27 for the Terriers. Included in that number was a phenomenal 30 offensive rebounds for Wittenberg, out of 58 total. Individually, junior guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) finished with 17 points, 15 of which came in the first half, and three rebounds, and junior post Joyce Dindo (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) added her first career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds in a team-high 22 minutes. Schmid rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.

Rounding things out, the Tigers opened the stretch run of the 2004-05 season with a disappointing 58-53 home loss to Allegheny on Feb. 4. After an ugly first half for both teams, Allegheny rebounded from a 23-14 halftime deficit to pull out the win as the Gators shot 58 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes.

The loss spoiled Hittle's career night as she led all players with 22 points and 14 rebounds, both career highs. She didn't get much help until late in the second half when sophomore guard Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) hit two long three-pointers - and just missed on another open look in the waning seconds that would have tied the game - to finish with eight points.

Next: 2/19 @ Ohio Wesleyan, 2 p.m.

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Becca Searcy

The Wittenberg men's and women's swimming and diving teams turned in solid finishes at the North Coast Athletic Conference championships Feb. 10-12 in Canton, Ohio. The Tiger women placed fourth for the fifth straight year, behind Kenyon, Denison and Wooster, three of the top 10 teams in the nation. The Tiger men placed a deceiving sixth, just 30 points out of fourth place, in a meet that featured several of the top teams nationally and dozens of NCAA Division III qualifying times in both the men's and women's competitions.

The meet highlight for the Red & White was clearly provided by junior Becca Searcy (Shelbyville, Ky./Shelby County), who placed in the top five in three individual events and earned provisional qualifying times each time, including an NCAA "A" Cut time of 17:26 in the 1650-yard freestyle, good for third place and All-NCAC honors.

Junior Betany Yeakley (Wilmington, Ohio/Wilmington) turned in the first All-NCAC finish of her career by taking third place in the 100 backstroke in an NCAA "B" Cut time of 59.54. She also placed sixth in the 200 back.

Sophomore Jen Mulligan (Cheyney, Pa./Delaware Valley Friends) was also outstanding in both backstroke events, placing sixth in the 100 and seventh in the 200. It's an indication of the phenomenal depth in the NCAC field that Mulligan was one of six individuals to earn NCAA "B" Cuts in the 100 back.

Also of note individually was freshman Lindsay Smith (Mount Vernon, Ohio/Mount Vernon), who turned in strong performances in the 50 and 100 free and the 100 butterfly. She turned in a pair of 10th place finishes in the freestyle events.

In the women's relays, the Tigers were consistent but also unable to break through for an All-NCAC finish. Yeakley, junior Amy Conner (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), Mulligan and Smith placed fifth in the 400 medley relay, sophomore Shantel Sechrist (Saltsburg, Pa./Saltsburg), Conner, Mulligan and Smith placed fifth in the 200 medley relay, Searcy, sophomore Hillary Clark (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer), freshman Kaitlin Clark (Wakeman, Ohio/Firelands) and Yeakley came in fourth in the 800 free relay, and Kaitlin Clark, Searcy, Yeakley and Smith took fifth in the 400 free relay.

Rounding things out for the women was freshman Courtney Roth (Gurnee, Ill./Lake Forest), who placed fourth in the 3-meter diving competition and seventh in the 1-meter.

On the men's side, the team's points leader was freshman Ryan Schramm (Cincinnati, Ohio/Roger Bacon), who finished 10th in the 400 IM and fifth in the 1650 free, the latter being the best individual finish for a Tiger men's swimmer. The best individual finish overall came from sophomore Cody Nicely (Knoxville, Tenn./Bearden), who placed third in the 3-meter diving event and sixth in the 1-meter event. It was the second straight year he has earned All-NCAC honors.

Sophomore Sean Wolf (White Lake, Mich./Walled Lake Central) turned in several outstanding finishes, including a pair of 12th places in the 50 and 100 free. In addition, senior Jonathan Newcomer (Valencia, Pa./Mars Area) place 11th in the 100 back and 18th in the 200 back, and freshman Nick Pierson (Indianapolis, Ind./North Central) placed 12th in the 400 IM.

One top-five relay finish was turned in by Newcomer, sophomore Ben Weible (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), senior Blake Troxel (Bluffton, Ind./Norwell) and junior Dan McGuire (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) in the 200 medley relay.

Several swimmers will take one last shot at qualifying for the national meet this weekend at at the Case Western Reserve Veale Invitational. Searcy is the only Tiger swimmer assured of a spot in the national meet, while Yeakley and Mulligan are provisionally qualified and likely will have to improve upon their times at Case Western.

Next: 3/10-12 @ NCAA Championships Holland, Mich. (Men)
3/17-19 @ NCAA Championships Holland, Mich. (Women)

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Gregg Carter

The Wittenberg men's and women's indoor track and field teams continued to turn in solid finishes against quality competition the last two weekends, including meets at Cedarville, Capital and Ohio Northern, the last being the prestigious and well-attended All-Ohio Indoor Invitational.

On Feb. 4, the Tiger men finished third and the Tiger women placed fourth at the Cedarville Invitational, despite competing against a field made up primarily of scholarship programs.

Leading the men was senior Joe Rumschlag (Maumee, Ohio/ Toledo Christian) as he finished first in the triple jump, third in the long jump and fourth in the 200 meters. The men's mark was aided when the 1600-meter relay team also took first place with a showing of 3:32.60.

In addition, freshman Mike Echols (Springfield, Ohio/North) finished third in the 800 meters.

The women received a particularly strong showing from freshman Allison Walker (Columbus, Ohio/Academy), who had an impressive showing in the weight throw with a second-place finish. In the 800 meters, juniors Anna Finklestein (Whitehall, Mich./ Reeths Puffer) and Rebecca Stewart (Knoxville, Tenn./The Webb School) took third and fourth in a closely contested race.

On Feb. 11 both the men and the women traveled to Capital University for the Purple and White Invitational. The Tiger men took second place out of 11 teams, and the Tiger women finished fourth in a 10-team field.

The men were led by first-place finishes by senior Lamarr Lewis (Trotwood, Ohio/Madison) in the 400-meter dash and by junior Gregg Carter (Wellsville, Ohio/Wellsville) in the long jump. Carter and Lewis also took second and third respectively in the 200-meter dash. Carter was honored by the North Coast Athletic Conference with Athlete of the Week, Sprints/Hurdles, on Feb. 13.

The women were led by freshman Chastity Sandridge (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid), who placed second in the 55-meter dash, Finklestein, who took fourth in the 400, freshman Alissa Goble (Sunfield, Mich./Lakewood), who was third in the 1500 meters, and sophomore Jessica McClish (Shelby, Ohio/Shelby), who placed third in the high jump.

Rounding things out, freshman Nicole Bailey (Cincinnati,Ohio/ Summit Country Day) had her best day yet as a collegian as she took first place in the 55 meters at the All-Ohio meet in a school record time of 7.43. She also tied the meet record, and she went on to add a second-place finish in the triple jump, a week after claiming third place in the event at Cedarville.

On the men's side, Rumschlag was the top scorer as he placed fifth in the long jump and eighth in the triple jump. Overall, the men were 14th of 19 at the All-Ohio Invitational and the women were 10th.

Next up is a trip to Columbus for a meet at Ohio State on Saturday. The team is competing in some of the toughest events possible as it gears up for the NCAC Championships March 4-5 at Denison.

Next: 2/19 @ Ohio State