Tiger basketball, swimming teams find themselves in the thick of NCAC races at mid-season

MEN'S BASKETBALL (11-2, 5-1 NCAC)

Coach Bill Brown (eighth season)

The Wittenberg University Tigers may have finally found the range. At least Head Coach Bill Brown hopes so.

On Jan. 3, the Tigers lost a disappointing road game at Otterbein College, 74-69. In that game, Wittenberg never put it all together, going on spurts and showing just flashes of the defensive intensity and offensive execution that had allowed the Tigers to capture the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic a few days previous.

On Jan. 6, Wittenberg returned to North Coast Athletic Conference action and managed to turn away a scrappy outfit from Ohio Wesleyan University, the same crew that had ambushed the Tigers a month earlier in Delaware. In that game, senior Ryan Taylor (Waynesfield, Ohio/Goshen) redeemed himself with a 25-point, five-rebound performance after struggling in the earlier loss at Ohio Wesleyan. Taylor was joined in double figures against OWU, which set an NCAC record with 19 three-pointers in the game, by junior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), sophomore center Brian Gratsch (Madeira, Ohio/Madeira) and senior center Chris Fillmore (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton).

Leading the charge in a lackluster Jan. 10 victory over Denison University was sophomore forward/center Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who dropped in 14 points to go along with six rebounds. He was the lone Tiger player to reach double figures in the game as 15 players saw action and 13 scored at least two points.

Brown hopes the turning point may have finally come on Jan. 13 at Kenyon College as the Tigers exploded for a 92-47 victory. Wittenberg shot a season-best 62.7 percent from the field in the game, outrebounded the Lords 40-20 and had 14 players find their way into the scoring column. Taylor, who is second in the conference in scoring with 18.3 points per game and tops the NCAC in three-point field goal percentage at .514, led the way with 21 points, while Longley, who is sixth in rebounding at 7.8 boards per game, chipped in with 13 and Rustad, No. 2 in the NCAC in three-point percentage at .489, added 11.

The three-game win streak moves the Tigers back out to 11-2 overall on the 2000-01 season and 5-1 in the NCAC heading into a crucial week. First, Wittenberg visits the third-place Wabash Little Giants on Wednesday. And then on Saturday, the Tigers play host to the nationally ranked, NCAC leading College of Wooster Fighting Scots.
Next at Wabash (1/17) vs. Wooster (1/20)

Women's Basketball (10-4, 4-2 NCAC)

Coach Pam Smith (15th season)

The Wittenberg University Tigers have had their ups and downs in recent weeks, but like the men's team the hope is that they will hit their stride soon.

Since finishing second in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Holiday Classic to No. 4 ranked University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Dec. 29, the Tigers have gone 2-2 in NCAC games. The Tigers started the new year with an 88-44 victory at Hiram on Jan. 5 as 15 players hit the floor and 14 scored at least one point in the game. Three players, sophomore guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), freshman guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) and senior guard Natalie Estep (Fairborn, Ohio/Fairborn) all led the way with nine points.

The next day, however, the Tigers came out flat in the second half and were stunned by the league-leading Allegheny Gators, 83-55. Sophomore guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) led the Tigers with 15 points and six rebounds, but Wittenberg managed just 21.6 percent shooting in the second half and committed 25 turnovers in the game.

Redemption nearly came on Dec. 10 as the Tigers battled co-NCAC leader and preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan down to the wire before falling 61-57 at the HPER Center in Springfield. Campbell led three Wittenberg players in double figures with 13 points, while sophomore forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw) and senior center Jamie Brafford (Monroe, Ohio/Lakota) also finished in double figures. Rolf chipped in with nine rebounds and five assists.

Finally, Wittenberg rallied to capture a hard-fought 64-53 NCAC victory on Jan. 13 at home against the Kenyon Ladies. Rolf dropped in 19 points, Keller added 13 and freshman forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) chipped in with 10. The Tigers won the battle of the boards 53-31 and held the Ladies, the defending NCAC tournament champions, to 31.7 percent shooting from the field.

Rolf leads the team in scoring and rebounding with 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Campbell is also averaging in double figures with 10.5 points per game, and she tops the conference in steals with 52 in 14 games.

Next at Denison (1/16)

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving

Coach Bob Rueppel (fifth season)

The Wittenberg University Tigers returned from their annual winter break training trip to Florida rejuvenated and ready to go. They needed the added energy to prepare for their first 2001 opponent, perennial Division III swimming powerhouse Kenyon College.

On the men's side, the Tigers dropped a 123-94 decision to Kenyon, while the Wittenberg women fell 122-98. In both cases, Wittenberg showed very well and posted some quality times and finishes.

Leading the charge for the men was sunior Aaron Edsall (Circleville, Ohio/Circleville), who won the 200-yard freestyle and 200 backstroke events in times of 148.98 and 200.49 respectively. Edsall is attempting to make a third straight trip to the NCAA Championships in February.

Joining Edsall in capturing wins against Kenyon were freshman Steve Rader (Concord, Ohio/Cleveland St. Ignatius), who was tops in the 200 butterfly, and freshman Alex Berger (Findlay, Ohio/Findlay) , who earned a first in the 200 breaststroke. In addition, freshman Jason Cross (Parma, Ohio/Parma) won the 1-meter diving competition.

In the women's meet, junior Rachel Juergens (Springfield, Ohio/Central Catholic) captured a first-place finish in the 1650 freestyle by a whopping 21 seconds. She was joined in posting victories by junior Courtney Paul (Columbus, Ohio/Hilliard) , who won the 50 free, freshman Courtney Galliger (Eagan, Minn./Eagan) who captured the 100 free, and junior Paula Hauser (Mason, Ohio/Mason), who claimed the 200 breast.

Next at Wright State (1/19) vs. Denison (1/20)