Posted December 12 2001, 12:30 am
Posted by: Ryan S. Maurer
Coach: Bill Brown (eighth season)
 Walker |  Rustad | The Tigers continued their impressive early season winning ways last week with a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference victories. The week started off with a solid 90-69 victory over visiting Wabash College on Wednesday, and rounded out with a hard-fought 72-66 road win at Allegheny College on Saturday. Against Wabash, the Tigers trailed for about 30 seconds in the opening minute of the game and then kicked it into overdrive, eventually breaking the game open with a 24-9 run in the last seven minutes of the first half. |
While Walker provided the energy off the bench, junior center B.J. Harris (Riverside, Ohio/Stebbins) had another outstanding offensive game from his starting center position. In just 23 minutes of action, Harris contributed 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. He was 7-of-9 from the floor in the game as he turned in his fourth double-double in six games this season.
Also finishing in double figures for the balanced Tigers was junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds before fouling out late in the game.
The Tigers then took one of their longest road trips of the season Saturday. Despite some struggles, Wittenberg came away with a solid 72-66 win over Allegheny to run its record to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the NCAC.
Leading the charge against the Gators, a much-improved team with five returning starters off a youthful, last-place team a year ago, was senior guard Greg Rustad (Lakewood, Ohio/Lakewood), who filled it up for a career-high 27 points. He was 8-of-15 from the floor in the game, including 5-of-11 from three-point range. He also added seven rebounds in the game, the second-best total on the team.
The best total in the rebounding category was turned in by junior forward Kevin Longley (Vandalia, Ohio/Butler), who snared a career-high 16 rebounds, including six at the offensive end.Next:
12/12 @ Urbana, 7:30 p.m.
12/22 @ Thomas More, 3 p.m.
Women'sBasketball (4-2, 2-0 NCAC)
Coach: Pam Smith (16th season)
 Campbell | The Tiger women's basketball team made it a clean sweep on the hardwood for the week, slowly pulling away from NCAC host Denison University on Saturday for an impressive 85-63 win after defeating Earlham College 71-55 on Tuesday at home in the HPER Center. Against Earlham, a team Wittenberg had already defeated this season in the consolation game of the Kalamazoo Tip-Off Tournament on Nov. 17, junior center Rebecca Meers (Moline, Ill./Moline) came off the bench to lead the Tigers with 15 points and nine rebounds. She was backed by 10 points and seven boards from junior guard Stephanie Campbell (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern). They led a balanced offensive attack in which 12 different players made their way into the scoring column and 11 of them pulled down at least one rebound as well. |
Against Denison, Wittenberg got a big game off the bench from junior forward Tiffany Keller (Massillon, Ohio/Tuslaw), who poured in 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 marksmanship from the free throw line. Keller, who played despite a sprained ankle suffered against Earlham, led three players in double figures, as sophomore forwardGeri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) finished with 15 points and seven rebounds and junior guard Kate Rolf (Ft. Wayne, Ind./Carroll) chippedin with 13 points.
The Tigers, whose only losses this year are to then No. 4 ranked Wisconsin-Oshkosh and then No. 6 ranked Capital (both teams remain in the national rankings but have since been defeated once each), return to action on Dec. 12 athome against Thomas More and then hit the road for a contest at Defiance on Dec. 15.
Next:
12/12 vs. Thomas More, 7 p.m.
12/15 @ Defiance, 2 p.m.
Football(11-2, 7-0 NCAC Champions)
Coach: Joe Fincham (sixth season)
 Jackson | The 2001 football season came to end last week against Mount Union College, which advanced to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl on Saturday witha 35-14 win over St. John's. But Tiger football players remain in the news. Senior defensive back Jason Jackson (Columbus, Ohio/South) was selected to participate in the Aztec Bowl in Saltillo, Mexico. A three-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection and a four-year letterwinner for the Tigers, Jackson will play for a United States NCAA Division III All-Star team against the Mexican National Team. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday, Dec. 15. The game can beheard via webcast by logging onto the American Football Coaches Association Web site (www.afca.com), Texas Sports Radio Network (www.tsrnsports.com) or www.d3football.com. Three one-hour preview shows will be broadcast onDec. 12, 13 and 14. |
Jackson was outstanding in 2001, coming back from a groin injury sufferedin the preseason to record 24.5 tackles, two interceptions that were returned 99 yards and 10 passes defensed. For his career, Jackson returned 25 kickoffs for 766 yards, and recorded 76 total tackles, five interceptions, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
He was part of a senior class that went 39-1 in regular season games and 45-5 overall, including a perfect 28-0 in winning four straight NCAC titles.
Next: Season Complete
Upcoming Tiger
Sports Action:
December
| 12 | Women's Basketball vs. Thomas More | 7 p.m. |
| Men's Basketball @ Urbana | 7:30 p.m | |
| 15 | Women's Basketball @ Defiance | 2 p.m. |
| 22 | Men's Basketball @ Thomas More | 3 p.m. |
| 28 | Men's Basketball Kiwanis/Wittenberg Holiday Classic vs. Illinois College | 8 p.m. |
| Women's Basketball Kiwanis/Wittenberg Holiday Classic vs. Mt. St. Joseph | 3 p.m. | |
| 29 | Men's Basketball Kiwanis/Wittenberg Holiday Classic Consolation/Championship | 3/8 p.m. |
| Women's Basketball Kiwanis/Wittenberg Holiday Classic Consolation/Championship | 1/6 p.m. | |