Kiwanis Tournament Web Page

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Per their custom, the Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams will welcome an outstanding field of eight teams for the annual Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic. This year's competition is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 21, and Saturday, Nov. 22, at Wittenberg's HPER Center. Games for both days are scheduled for 1, 3, 6 and 8 p.m.

Men's tournament participants for 2003 include Washington University from St. Louis, Mo., Eastern University from Philadelphia, Pa., the University of Wisconsin-Platteville from Platteville, Wis., and Wittenberg. Action gets underway Friday at 6 p.m. as Washington University and Wisconsin-Platteville square off, followed by a clash between the host Tigers and Eastern at 8 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. On Saturday, the consolation game is slated for 3 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the women's consolation game, and the championship contest is slated for 8 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the women's championship game. Wittenberg has won 17 of the 20 title games in the tournament's history, with the lone exceptions being in 1986 against Centre College, 1997 against the University of Chicago and last year against Ohio Dominican University.

The men's tournament includes just one team that made the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament, but three of the four participating programs are regulars in the postseason. Washington University finished 24-2 in 2002-03 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation for much of the season as the Bears claimed the University Athletic Association's regular season championship. Eastern University is coming off its best season in school history at 12-15, and Wisconsin-Platteville, winners of five NCAA Division III national championships in the 1990s, finished 11-15 a year ago in the rugged Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association. The host Tigers posted an overall record of 20-6 in 2002-03 and return three starters this year in hopes of improving upon that mark and returning to the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time in the last four years.

Women's tournament participants for 2003 include Hope College from Hope, Mich., the State University of New York at Brockport (Brockport State), Ohio Northern University from Ada, Ohio, and Wittenberg. Action gets underway Friday at 1 p.m. as Hope and Brockport State square off, followed by a game between the host Tigers and Ohio Northern at 3 p.m. or 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first game. On Saturday, action opens with the consolation game at 1 p.m. and the championship game at 6 p.m. Wittenberg has won nine of the 17 title games in the women's competition history, although the Tigers have fallen in the final three of the last four years, including 2002 when Otterbein took the top prize.

The women's tournament includes three teams that advanced to the 2003 NCAA Division III Tournament. Hope posted a 31-1 record a year ago as the Flying Dutch claimed first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season standings and tournament competition. Brockport State finished 21-8 a year ago and won the SUNYAC tournament title. Ohio Northern finished 7-18 last year while competing in the extremely competitive Ohio Athletic Conference. The host Tigers went 24-5 en route to the 2003 North Coast Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles.