Sophomore guard Stephanie Campbell is Wittenberg's second-leading scorer in 2000-01.

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — The Wittenberg University women’s basketball program has won or shared seven of the last 10 North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships. While the Tigers have been too inconsistent during the 2000-01 season to make it eight of 11, they have put themselves in a strong position recently.

To solidify that position — namely third place in the NCAC standings and home court advantage in the first round of the conference tournament that begins Feb. 20 — the Tigers must defeat the visiting College of Wooster Fighting Scots in a game that begins at 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 17. A win in the game — which will also serve as a celebration of the fine careers of seniors Melissa JayJohn of Pickerington, Ohio, Jamie Brafford of Monroe, Ohio, and Natalie Estep of Fairborn, Ohio — would secure no worse than a tie for third place in the final standings. The Tigers caught up with Earlham College for third in the league after defeating Denison University at home on Wednesday by a score of 77-66.

Wittenberg comes into the game with a head of steam and the opportunity to improve upon last year’s regular season NCAC mark of 10-6. The Tigers have won four straight games since dropping a 68-60 decision to league-leading Allegheny College on Feb. 2, and they have seemingly rebounded from an erratic midseason stretch that dropped them out of the national rankings. A win on Saturday also would extend Wittenberg’s streak of top-three regular season conference finishes to 12.

Wittenberg, which is coached by Athletics Hall of Honor member Pam Smith (Class of 1982), is now 16-7 overall and 10-5 in the NCAC. The Tigers, who have 12 players averaging more than 12 minutes per game, have been led this season by a group of precocious sophomores who may now be peaking at the right time. Among them are leading scorer and rebounder Kate Rolf, a guard from Ft. Wayne, Ind., guard Stephanie Campbell of South Charleston, Ohio, and guard/forward Tiffany Keller of Massillon, Ohio.

Wooster, on the other hand, comes in with a record of 4-19 overall and 2-13 in the NCAC. The Scots, who are guided by fourth-year head coach Lisa Campanell Komara, are led by sophomore Nara DeJesus, who was a first-team All-NCAC selection a year ago.

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