Women's Basketball
2003-04 News Releases
All Releases Written By: Ryan Maurer
Director of Sports Information
E-Mail: rmaurer@wittenberg.edu
March 23, 2004
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| Amber Bishop |
To get to the Sweet Sixteen, the Tigers captured the first opening round win in school history, an 81-49 pasting of visiting Penn St.-Behrend on March 3. Then the Tigers pulled off the biggest upset in school history on March 6, taking to the road to defeat ninth-ranked Messiah College, 51-48.
The Tigers, regular season and tournament champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference, won their 21st straight game. Neither team led by more than five points in the game, and with one minute remaining the score was tied at 46. That's when top players rise to the occasion, and senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) did just that, burying a clutch three-pointer - her career-high third of the night - to give the Tigers a 49-46 lead with 50 seconds remaining.
Messiah responded with a two-point basket at the other end, and then the Falcons fouled senior guard Kari Kitchen (Springfield, Ohio/Southeastern) with 12 seconds left. After missing two previous free throw attempts, Kitchen was money this time, dropping both attempts to give the Tigers enough breathing room to force an errant three-point attempt just before the buzzer.
Warden, who was named the NCAC Player of the Year and also earned second-team All-Great Lakes Region honors from d3hoops.com, led the way with her 16th double-double of the season as she poured in 16 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) added 10 points, three rebounds and two assists, senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) chipped in with nine points and 10 boards, Kitchen finished with seven points and three rebounds and junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) had the best game of her career with seven points.
Against Scranton, Wittenberg shot just 30 percent from the field for the game, including a 1-for-15 performance from three-point range, and were plagued by foul problems, particularly to top post players Warden and Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood).
The Tigers led twice in the game, at 2-0 and 6-5, before the Lady Royals took control of things with a 10-0 run and then fended off several challenges late in the first half and early in the second. Wittenberg went six full minutes without a point in the game's crucial turning point.
Wittenberg managed 15 points from senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia), eight points from Woessner and seven from Warden. Freshman forward Kathy Hittle (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville) chipped in with four points and a game-high seven rebounds in 17, foul-plagued minutes off the bench.
The Tigers finished the season ranked No. 20 in the nation, and they also have the satisfaction of knowing they were one of the few teams in the nation to defeat eventual national champion Wilmington. Wittenberg beat the Quakers at home by eight points on Dec. 30.
Next: Season Complete
March 9, 2004
Wittenberg Women's Basketball Prepares for NCAA Division III Tournament Round of 16 SPRINGFIELD - The Wittenberg women's basketball team is enjoying a "great adventure," according to Head Coach Pam Smith, which continues this weekend at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. The Tigers, regular season and tournament champions of the North Coast Athletic Conference for the second consecutive year, will play the University of Scranton at 5 p.m. Friday, March 12, in the third round of the 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament. Read More ...
March 5, 2004
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| Haley Warden |
It took eight frustrating tries, but perhaps that made Wednesday's 81-49 NCAA Division III Tournament victory over visiting Penn St.-Behrend that much sweeter. For the first time in school history, Wittenberg won a national women's basketball tournament first round game.
Wittenberg led from start to finish, using a stifling full-court defense and a huge rebounding advantage to easily defeat the Lions, champions of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference. The Lions finished the first half with 19 turnovers and the scoreboard showed a commanding 39-15 lead for the Tigers. The second half offered more of the same.
Wittenberg put three players in double figures, led by senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia), who finished with 18 points and two assists. The dynamic senior post duo of Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) combined for 29 points and 17 rebounds. The Tigers won the rebounding battle, 37-24, and forced 29 turnovers. As a result, Wittenberg took 65 shots from the field to 33 for the Lions.
In the NCAC Tournament quarterfinals last Tueseday, the Tigers got a needed lift from freshman guard Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster), who sparked an early comeback to help the top-seeded Tigers ease past the eighth-seeded Oberlin Yeowomen, 74-62
The Yeowomen held an 8-4 advantage before Miller, who had appeared in just 12 games all year, came off the bench to drain four first-half three-pointers to help give Wittenberg a 29-23 halftime advantage. In the second half, Wittenberg never pulled away, but thanks to the hot play of Bishop and Warden the game was never closer than six points. Bishop hit two three-pointers in the first minute of the second half, and she poured in 16 of her game-high 18 points in the final 20 minutes. Warden made just 2-of-11 shots in the game, but she finished with eight points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Miller finished with 16 points.
In the semifinals, the Tigers put on a clinic in the second half to pull away from preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan on Friday at the HPER Center, beating the Battling Bishops, 70-56.
The Tigers rallied from an early 11-point deficit to tie the game at 27 on back-to-back three-pointers from Bishop and junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson). Senior guard Kari Kitchen (Springfield, Ohio/Southeastern) dropped in two free throws at the 47-second mark to give the Tigers their first lead of the game. That started an 8-0 run, with four points on either side of halftime, and Ohio Wesleyan never seriously threatened again.
Wittenberg put eight of the 10 players who appeared in the scoring column, led by 18 points from Woessner. Warden finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds and sophomore guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) chipped in with nine points and two assists off the bench.
In Saturday's NCAC Championship game, the Tigers put the finishing touches on a second straight perfect conference campaign with a 66-53 win over Allegheny. Warden, the Tournament MVP, turned in her second straight double-double and her 15th of the season. She finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds. Bishop, an all-tournament team selection hit 7-of-8 free throws en route to a game-high 20 points. Woessner, also an all-tournament team selection, chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.
After Wittenberg stretched the lead to 35-20 at halftime, the Gators clawed their way back in the second half and whittled the lead to four at the 5:16 mark. Down the stretch, it was a battle of free throw shooting as Allegheny managed just 6-of-10 from the line, while Wittenberg was 14-of-18.
The good news didn't stop there, however. Warden made her first and only appearance on the All-NCAC honor roll count by claiming 2004 NCAC Player of the Year honors after leading the Tigers in scoring (14.5 points per game) and rebounding (9.8 boards per game). Warden was a first-team selection, Bishop was a second-team choice after scoring 12.5 points per game, and Woessner earned Honorable Mention recognition for her 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds per outing in the 2003-04 season.
NCAC Coach of the Year went to Pam Smith (Wittenberg 1982) for the third straight year and the sixth time in her career. Smith has an 18-year record at her alma mater of 349-139. Wittenberg has won 10 NCAC regular season titles, including the last three in a row, and seven NCAC Tournament titles, and the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament eight times in Smith's career.
Next up for the Tigers is a second-round NCAA Tournament road trip to Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Tip is slated for 7:30 p.m. against the ninth-ranked team in the nation.
Next: 3/6 at Messiah, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA Tournament Second Round
March 4, 2004
Wittenberg Men's And Women's Basketball Teams Rake In Top NCAC Awards SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Men's and Women's Basketball teams have been mirror images of one another all season, the models of winning consistency, so it should come as no surprise that the Tigers cleaned up in the North Coast Athletic Conference postseason awards, which were announced today. Read More ...
February 29, 2004
Wittenberg Men's And Women's Basketball Teams Earn NCAA Division III Tournament Berths
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University Men's and Women's Basketball teams both earned invitations to the 2004 NCAA Division III Tournament, which opens action this week on campuses across the nation. The Tiger women received the North Coast Athletic Conference's automatic bid into the tournament after winning the NCAC regular season and tournament for a second consecutive season. Read More ...
February 25, 2004
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| Amber Bishop |
In the last week, Wittenberg sewed up the NCAC regular season title with a home win on Saturday over preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan and then opened up the postseason with a home win on Tuesday in the NCAC Tournament quarterfinals over Oberlin.
For the fourth time in school history, the Tigers put the finishing touches on a perfect 16-0 NCAC regular season, this time by defeating Ohio Wesleyan, 66-60. In improving to 20-5 overall and 16-0 in the NCAC, the Tigers captured their 36th consecutive NCAC regular season victory, spanning more than two years.
The Tigers defeated their most intense conference rival for the fifth straight time by following their tried-and-true 2003-04 season script - by hitting the big shots at the big moments, grabbing a host of offensive rebounds and forcing their opponent into too many ballhandling mistakes. In the first half, the two teams battled back and forth for the entire 20 minutes, with Wittenberg finally gaining a 29-26 advantage by halftime. Wittenberg broke the eighth and final tie of the game with just 21 second left in the first half on a jumper by freshman forward Rachel Clark-Haggy (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) and capped the opening 20 minutes with a buzzer-beating lay-up by sophomore forward Joyce Dindo (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) off a great feed from senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia).
In the second half, Ohio Wesleyan worked the lead down to one on two occasions in the opening minutes, only to have Wittenberg stretch it back out to as much as 14 points at the 7:22 mark.
On senior day, none other than senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) against stole the show. She finished with her 13th double-double of the season, 15 points and 10 rebounds, and she added five assists and two steals before fouling out in the late-going. The other four seniors also had outstanding games as forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) finished with 14 points and four rebounds, Bishop chipped in with 12 points, seven boards and three assists, guard Kari Kitchen (Springfield, Ohio/Southeastern) drained three free throws in the final minute to ice the game and guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/St. Ursula) finished with two points in 20 minutes.
Warden was rewarded for her outstanding play with NCAC Player of the Week honors, the second time this season she was so recognized.
Against Oberlin, the Tigers needed a lift, and they got it Tuesday from freshman guard Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster). Miller sparked an early comeback as the cold-shooting, top-seeded Tigers eased their way past the eighth-seeded Yeowomen, 74-62.
Oberlin jumped out to a 6-0 lead and still held an 8-4 advantage when Miller, who had appeared in just 12 games all year, came off the bench and got the offense going. She hit a three-pointer with 12:11 left in the first half to pull Wittenberg within one point, then she dropped a three-pointer at the 10:37 mark to tie things at 12-12. Less than two minutes later, Miller gave the Tigers the lead for the first - and it turns out, only - time, dropping her third straight trey to give Wittenberg a 17-14 lead. Miller finished the first half with four triples and the Tigers wound up leading 29-23 at the intermission.
In the second half, Wittenberg never pulled away, but thanks to the hot play of Bishop and Warden the Yeowomen never pulled any closer than six points in the final 20 minutes. Bishop hit two three-pointers in the first minute of the second half to give the Tigers some breathing room, and she went on to pour in 16 of her game-high 18 points in the final 20 minutes. Warden, the Tigers' leading scorer and rebounder, made just 2-of-11 shots in the game, but she finished with eight points, 14 rebounds, four steals and seven assists, showing off an outstanding all-around game. Miller finished with 16 points.
Wittenberg now hosts the NCAC Tournament semifinals and finals, starting Friday night at 5:30 p.m. That's when second-seeded Allegheny and third-seeded Denison square off, followed by the top-seeded Tigers and fourth-seeded Battling Bishops in a re-match of Saturday's regular season finale. The winners come back for a Saturday night championship game, scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off in the HPER Center.
Next: 2/27 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 7:45 p.m.
NCAC Tournament Semifinals
February 21, 2004
Wittenberg Men's And Women's Basketball Teams Win Conference Championships With Identical 16-0 Records SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - For the first time since the 1993-94 school year, the Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams have won the North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships with perfect 16-0 records. Wittenberg is the only school ever to accomplish the feat. Read More ...
February 19, 2004
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| Megan Miller |
The Tigers won by a bunch both times in the last week. On Saturday at Wooster, Wittenberg clinched a third straight NCAC regular season championship with a 75-43 pasting of Lady Scots.
A frantic-paced first half ended with the Tigers holding a 29-18 lead as the two teams combined for 38 turnovers and just 32 percent shooting from the field. In the second half, Wittenberg pulled away quickly and extended a 17-point lead to 28 midway through the stanza thanks to an 11-0 run.
Senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) was the only player on either team to reach double figures in scoring and rebounding, posting her 12th double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Tigers were tremendously balanced, putting 12 of the 15 players who saw action in the scoring column, including junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who finished with nine points and six rebounds, and senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) with eight points and three boards.
On Wednesday night, Wittenberg blitzed the visiting Earlham College Quakers 29-2 to start the game and ran away for a 76-44 victory.
Wittenberg scored the game's first 15 points, thanks in part to Warden's hot play, as she had eight of those points. The lead was extended to 29-2 at the 12:21 mark of the first half before the Quakers finally woke up and went on an 11-2 run of their own. But the damage was done, and Wittenberg worked the lead back to 24 points by halftime and up to as much as 36 in an anticlimactic second half.
The statistical reasons were many for the lopsided score. Wittenberg shot 48 percent from the field, including 57 percent in the first half, compared to 29 percent by the Quakers. The Tigers attempted 19 more free throws in the game, outrebounded their visitors by 12 and forced 27 Earlham turnovers.
Individually, Warden led the Tigers with 16 points, four rebounds and five steals in just 18 minutes of action. Freshman guard Megan Miller (Lancaster, Ohio/Lancaster) bombed away in her 13 minutes, scoring a career-high 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 5-of-6 shooting from the free throw line. And Woessner chipped in with 13 points and a game-high eight boards.
Wittenberg looks to close out a second straight perfect NCAC regular season and the fourth in school history with a win Saturday against preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan at the HPER Center. It's Jam the Gym! day at the HPER Center, with spirit groups competing for prizes.
Next: 2/21 vs. Ohio Wesleyan, 2 p.m.
February 12, 2004
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| Haley Warden |
The wins improved the Tigers to 17-5 overall, running that win streak to 13 straight, and 13-0 in the NCAC, running the regular season win streak to 33 in a row spanning more than two full years. Wittenberg clinched a share of the NCAC regular season crown for the third straight year and the 10th time in the last 15 years.
Against second-place Allegheny, the Tigers were forced to rally from a 14-point first-half deficit before coming up with the goods, carrying their only lead of the game through to the conclusion and a 64-57 win.
Allegheny led for the first 22:38 before the Tigers took their first lead of the game on a free throw by senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) - followed by a four-point play as Warden was fouled on a good three-point attempt, capping an 21-3 run that erased a 28-14 Gators lead and gave Wittenberg a 35-31 advantage. The Tigers extended the lead to as much as nine points in the second half and then had to hang on, making their last seven foul shots as Allegheny made a big charge in the waning moments.
Wittenberg got another outstanding performance from Warden, the team's leading scorer and rebounder. She scored 14 points and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end. The key to the win was free throw shooting as Wittenberg took advantage of 28 Allegheny fouls to hit 30-of-41 shots from the free throw line. The 30 free throws made is a school record, breaking the previous high of 27, while the 41 attempts is one short of the school record of 42.
Senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) led all scorers with 20 points, including 6-of-7 from the foul line. Junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) chipped in with 12 points off the bench, 10 of which were earned at the charity stripe.
Interestingly, the Tigers missed all seven three-point attempts in the game. The last time Wittenberg was held without a three-pointer was Dec. 3, 2000, at Thomas More. Since that 88-55 victory, the Tigers had made at least one trey in each of 95 straight games.
Against Hiram on Saturday, the Tigers capped the most challenging week of the 2003-04 season with a 61-44 victory.
The Tigers never trailed in the game, but that doesn't mean it was the customary lop-sided Wittenberg win against the Terriers. Hiram pushed the game into single-digit deficits on two occasions in the last 10 minutes, but the Tigers did what they have almost all season, hit the big shots at the right times late in games while nursing a lead. Wittenberg scored the last six points of the game in the final two minutes to close things out in style.
Wittenberg was paced by Schmid, who posted a career-high 19 points and added eight rebounds, one short of her career high, all accomplished in just 22 minutes off the bench. Warden added 11 points and five rebounds and Bishop chipped in with 11 points as well. The Tigers won the rebounding battle 41-25, but they struggled from the three-point line for a second straight game, hitting just 1-of-13.
The Tigers can lay claim to the regular season title outright with a win on Saturday at Wooster. The team has already assured itself of home court advantage in the upcoming NCAC Tournament for a third consecutive year.
Next: 2/14 at Wooster, 2 p.m.
February 5, 2004
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| Emilie Schmid |
In the last week, Wittenberg won two more games to run its 2003-04 win streak to 11 straight, dating back to a Dec. 20 loss to Thomas More, and its NCAC regular season win streak to 31 straight, dating back to a Feb. 2, 2002 loss at Allegheny. The Tigers are now 15-5 overall and 11-0 after defeating Oberlin at home on Saturday and preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan on the road on Tuesday.
Against Oberlin, the Tigers battled through a tight first half to pull away from the visiting Yeowomen, 67-47, on Saturday at the HPER Center. The Tigers did it by getting contributions from a variety of players in an outstanding second half.
The lead changed hands eight times in the first half until the Tigers scored the final five points before the intermission - a three-pointer by senior guard Kari Kitchen (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) with 1:58 remaining and a layup by junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) just before the buzzer. Wittenberg then took control in the second half, outscoring the visitors 37-22, thanks in large part to 50 percent shooting from the field.
The Tigers shot 44 percent for the game, compared to 33 percent for the Yeowomen, and both teams struggled with their ballhandling with 23 Oberlin turnovers and 21 Wittenberg turnovers. Wittenberg won the battle of the boards 44-36.
Senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) led all scorers with 13 points, followed by Schmid, who nearly had her first career double-double as she finished with 12 points and nine rebounds. Also of note were the performances by senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) with eight points and six assists and senior guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/Cincinnati St. Ursula) with five points and five assists.
On Tuesday in Delaware, Ohio, the Tigers pulled out a 66-59 victory over preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan.
The Tigers claimed a 31-29 lead by halftime, in part thanks to Bishop's 19 points. She added eight more in the second half, and she got a huge assist from Warden, who scored 16 of her career-high-tying 23 points in the final 20 minutes. She added a career-high 19 rebounds, which was a season-high for the Tigers as a team and the third highest total in school history.
With the duo of Bishop and Warden scoring 50 of the Tigers' 66 points driving the offense, a total team effort held 2003 NCAC Player of the Year Kelly Heil to 15 points on 6-of-19 shooting and a team-high nine rebounds. That's nearly six below her scoring average.
Next: 2/6 at Allegheny, 5:30 p.m.
January 29, 2004
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| Rachel Clark-Haggy |
Wittenberg leads the North Coast Athletic Conference by two full games over perennial powerhouse rivals Ohio Wesleyan and Allegheny, with both looming on the schedule in the not-so-distant future. The Tigers are riding a 29-game NCAC regular season win streak and a 28-game NCAC win streak overall (including tournament play). Their last regular season NCAC defeat came on Feb. 2, 2002 at Allegheny. Their last NCAC defeat, tournament or regular season, came in the 2002 conference tourney title game, an overtime decision at home against the Battling Bishops.
Against Earlham on Saturday, it didn't look good for about the first two minutes of the game. After that, it looked very good as Wittenberg ran past the Quakers, 80-52. Earlham jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Tigers put things together, starting with five straight points by senior guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/St. Ursula). The game offered two ties, at 7-7 and at 9-9, before Wittenberg scored 24 of the next 28 points to break the game open. The lead reached 24 points late in the first half and 29 points late in the second half before settling in at 80-52.
Wittenberg dominated every statistical category, and all 15 players who made the trip saw at least four minutes of action. The Tigers won the battle of the boards 36-29, caused 26 Earlham turnovers while committing just 17 and shot a season-best 47.5 percent from the field.
The Tigers were led once again by the inside-outside duo of seniors Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) and Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia). Bishop had game-highs of 15 points and four assists in 22 minutes of action while Warden notched her ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Also reaching double figures with a new career high in points was freshman Rachel Clark-Haggy (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who chipped in with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from the free throw line in just 12 minutes of action.
Against Kenyon, what looked like a back-and-forth defensive struggle in the opening minutes turned into a rout as Wittenberg ran away from the visiting Ladies, 69-36. Kenyon led for most of the first seven minutes until a three-point play by Warden gave the Tigers a 12-11 lead. After that, it was all Tigers as they scored 19 of the next 26 points to take a commanding 31-18 edge into the locker room at halftime. In the second half, Wittenberg buried its guests with a 13-2 run in the first six minutes to open up a 24-point spread. The lead reached 34 points on two occasions.
Wittenberg forced 28 Kenyon turnovers and committed just 10, and the Tigers scored 36 points off turnovers. Second-chance points, made possible by 17 Tiger offensive rebounds out of 39 overall (compared to 33 for Kenyon), were 15-2 in favor of Wittenberg.
Three players reached double figures for the balanced Tigers, who played all 15 players at least six minutes in the game. Junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) finished with 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and four steals in 17 extremely productive minutes off the bench. Bishop and Warden added 10 points apiece.
Next: 1/31 vs. Oberlin, 2 p.m.
January 22, 2004
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| Haley Warden |
On Wednesday night, Wittenberg got a big game from senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia) and some clutch three-point shooting from senior guard Kari Kitchen (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) to ease past visiting Denison University, 63-53.
Wittenberg has now won 27 straight NCAC regular season games. More importantly, the Tigers have won seven straight games in 2003-04. Wittenberg now leads the all-time series between the two teams, 39-5, and has won the last seven in a row.
Denison jumped out to a 4-0 lead, but Wittenberg scored the next five points and never relinquished the lead again, with the exception of four ties, the last at 19-19 with 7:48 remaining in the first half. The Tigers outscored the Big Red 10-2 over the rest of the first half to take a 29-21 edge into the locker room. Bishop keyed that run with six points, and senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) added four points.
While the lead never went above 12 points in the second half, it also never fell below three. The key run in the entire game came after Denison cut the Tiger lead to 40-37 with 10:38 remaining. Over the next two minutes, Kitchen drilled a pair of clutch three-pointers, followed by a triple by Bishop. Down the stretch, Wittenberg maintained a comfortable margin thanks to 6-of-7 foul shooting in the final 1:25.
Bishop finished with 21 points and three rebounds and senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) chipped in with 15 points, four rebounds and four steals. Kitchen added eight points and two rebounds in 20 excellent minutes off the bench.
On Saturday, the battle-tested Tigers fought their way through a tough challenge to defeat the visiting College of Wooster Lady Scots, 78-70, at the HPER Center. Wittenberg, which owns a 32-5 lead in the series between the two teams, won for the 14th straight time against Wooster.
The Tigers took an early 9-2 lead as junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) dished out assists on three consecutive three-pointers, two of which were hit by sophomore guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville). But the Lady Scots, a much taller and deeper outfit than the host team, came on strong, shooting 55 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes to claim a 42-40 lead by halftime. Wooster led by as much as nine in the first half before Wittenberg cut into the lead with a 8-3 run going into the locker room.
In the second half, Wooster led for the first seven minutes, until Jones put Wittenberg ahead with a jumper at the 13:17 mark. That basket was part of a 15-0 run that turned the game completely around. Wooster closed the gap to three points with 3:28 remaining in the game but could get no closer as the Tigers drained eight of their 10 free throws in the final 59 seconds to seal the deal.
Keying the second-half turnaround were Woessner with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Warden with 23 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs. For Warden, it was her eighth double-double in 15 games.
On Sunday, Warden was rewarded for her outstanding play with NCAC Player of the Week honors. It was the first such award for a Tiger player this season and the first such honor in Warden's career.
Wittenberg is back in action Saturday with a road game against Earlham, one of the preseason conference favorites, and Wednesday at home against Kenyon.
Next: 1/24 at Earlham, 2 p.m.
January 16, 2004
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| Kari Kitchen |
In the last week, Wittenberg was up to the task on two occasions, turning back challenges from NCAC rivals Oberlin and Kenyon on Saturday and Wednesday respectively. That sets up games in the next week against Wooster, one of four teams in the conference sporting winning records currently, at home on Saturday and Wednesday at home against Denison, which is alone in third place in the NCAC at the moment.
Against Oberlin, the Tigers didn't play a perfect offensive game but they suffocated the Yeowomen defensively to come away with a victory, 59-39. Wittenberg never trailed in the game, as junior guard Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) drilled a three-pointer at the 17:09 mark to give the Tigers a lead they would not relinquish.
Wittenberg was led by senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) with 15 points and seven rebounds in the game. She was joined in double figures by junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) with 12 and sophomore guard Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville) with 10 tallies. The Tigers took 19 more shots in the game than Oberlin thanks to a deceiving 41-38 rebounding advantage - Wittenberg collected 21 offensive boards, led by Warden with four. In addition, the Tigers forced 26 Oberlin turnovers, compared to 15 for the visitors.
Against Kenyon, it was another nailbiter for the Tigers as they upended host Kenyon 56-48. The win, Wittenberg's 25th straight in NCAC regular season action. It was another low-scoring, defensive-oriented struggle for the Tigers, and yet another narrow margin of victory. Seven of Wittenberg's nine wins have come by 11 points or less, including three of the first five in the NCAC.
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie five minutes into the game and never looked back, keeping Kenyon at arm's length throughout, in part by making 17-of-23 foul shots, including 7-of-8 in the final 1:39.
Wittenberg was led once again by Warden, who finished with 12 points and five rebounds. Senior post Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood) added six points and a game-high eight boards. Senior guard Kari Kitchen (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern) checked in with seven points, including 4-of-4 free throws in the final two minutes, and four assists. And junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson) chipped in with nine points and three rebounds off the bench.
Next: 1/17 vs. Wooster, 2 p.m.
January 9, 2004
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| Haley Warden |
In defeating Denison on Dec. 3, Allegheny on Jan. 2 and Hiram on Jan. 3, Wittenberg extended its NCAC win streak to 23 straight regular season games, dating back to Feb. 2, 2002 at Allegheny. The Tigers won all 16 NCAC games a year ago and then captured three straight in the NCAC Tournament as well.
The Tigers opened the season with a win against Ohio Northern in the first round of the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic on Nov. 21 and followed that with a hard-fought defeat against nationally ranked Hope, 77-74, in the title game the next night. All five of the team's losses, including a pair to Hope, have come against teams currently receiving votes in the d3hoops.com poll.
Following the Christmas holiday, the Tigers may have found their stride, beginning with an impressive home win over perennial Ohio Athletic Conference powerhouse Wilmington on Dec. 30. In that game, senior forward Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill) posted her seventh double-double of the season with 12 points and 12 rebounds. She played the entire second half with four fouls and helped the Tigers ice the game with 10-of-10 free throw shooting.
Warden leads the Tigers with averages of 13.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, especially lofty figures considering she came into the season averaging 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. Her rebounding average leads the NCAC, and she also leads the team in minutes per game and steals, and she is second in assists.
Warden has had help, with the most significant boost on offense coming from senior guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia), the team's top returning scorer coming into the season, who is averaging 12.3 points per game in 2003-04. Bishop poured in 30 points in the losing effort against Hope in the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic title game, and she has been in double figures in eight of the team's 12 games to date.
The other story of note thus far has been the play of senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), who has returned from a major knee injury last year to appear in all 12 games in 2003-04. Coming off another strong soccer season, after which she was honored with All-NCAC and All-Great Lakes Region awards, Woessner is averaging 7.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22.1 minutes each time out. The scoring total is third-best on the team and the rebounding average ranks second.
Wittenberg is currently in a dead heat with preseason favorite Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC. The two teams don't meet until Feb. 3 in Delaware, Ohio.
Next: 1/10 at Oberlin, 1 p.m.
December 29, 2003
Wittenberg Athletic Broadcasts Find New Home On Radio Dial
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg University athletic teams have found a new home on the radio dial, WUSO-FM, the student-run campus radio station that can be found at the 89.1 frequency in the Springfield area. The first game, a men's basketball contest between Wittenberg and Ohio Northern University, was carried on the station's airwaves on Monday, Dec. 22. The next broadcast is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 30, when the Tiger men's and women's basketball teams host a doubleheader that begins at 5:30 p.m. in the HPER Center. Read More ...
November 20, 2003
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| Christina Fischer |
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. They return just one starter, point guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/Cincinnati St. Ursula), but the team will still have a veteran feel to it, with a projected starting lineup of five seniors. The top returning scorer is guard Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia).
Next: 11/21-22 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic
November 6, 2003
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| Amber Bishop |
The 2003-04 season opens Friday, Nov. 21, as Wittenberg hosts the Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic. The NCAC regular season opens with games Saturday, Dec. 7. The NCAC Tournament will be held over the final week of February, with the men's and women's semifinals and finals at the site of the respective high seeds on Feb. 27-28. The Tigers, winners of nine NCAC regular season champions and six NCAC Tournament titles since 1989, welcomes nine letterwinners - but just one starter - back into the fold in 2003-04. Among those nine returning letterwinners, six have seen significant action at the varsity level the last two seasons as the Tigers posted a 30-2 NCAC regular season record. Four of them were on the court for the final minute of a 64-57 NCAA Division III Tournament loss at Baldwin-Wallace last March.
The lone returning starter is senior point guard Christina Fischer (Norwood, Ohio/Cincinnati St. Ursula). She and fellow senior Kari Kitchen (South Charleston, Ohio/Southeastern), who shared time at point guard in 2002-03, will hold down that spot again this season after combining for an outstanding assist-turnover ratio of 83-74 a year ago. The other starting guard will likely be senior Amber Bishop (Batavia, Ohio/Batavia), who averaged 8.2 points per game last year and tied a Wittenberg, NCAC and NCAA Division III record with 12 straight field goals against Hiram on Feb. 7, 2003.
Senior Haley Warden (Loveland, Ohio/Indian Hill), who swings between guard and forward and led the Tigers with 5.3 rebounds per game off the bench last year, is another likely starter. In addition, junior guard Emilie Schmid (Canton, Ohio/Massillon Jackson), who doubles as an all-conference volleyball player on the Tigers' nationally ranked team, junior Alison Nahrup (Loveland, Ohio/Mt. Notre Dame) and sophomore Carrie Jones (Greenville, Ohio/Greenville), who saw action in 23 games, will be in the backcourt rotation.
Senior forward Geri Woessner (Dayton, Ohio/Oakwood), one of the greatest track athletes in NCAC history, one of the greatest soccer players in Wittenberg history and a three-year letterwinner in basketball despite missing all but four games in 2002-03 with a knee injury, is the team's most experienced frontcourt returnee. She will be joined in that area by sophomore Joyce Dindo (Akron, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), who appeared in 15 games off the bench a year ago and made 50 percent of her field goal attempts.
Next: 11/21-22 Kiwanis-Wittenberg Tip-Off Classic
November 4, 2003
Wittenberg Men's and Women's Basketball Teams Projected to Finish Second in NCAC Preseason Balloting
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Wittenberg University men's and women's basketball teams both were picked to finish second in preseason voting by coaches and media after the North Coast Athletic Conference's 20th annual basketball media day, which was held today via teleconference. Read More ...
November 4, 2003
Sarah Jurewicz, Beth Green, Ryan Taylor and Matt Croci Make NCAC Men's and Women's Basketball All-Decade Teams
CLEVELAND -- Ohio Wesleyan's Travis Schwab and Katie Sturtz head a list of stellar student-athletes named to the North Coast Athletic Conference's 20th Anniversary men's and women's basketball teams. Schwab, the first men's basketball player in NCAC history to be named to the All-NCAC first team as a freshman, sophomore and junior, is the only active player on the two special anniversary rosters. The senior post led the league in both scoring (21.2 ppg) and offensive rebounds (3.12 rpg) last season. He was the 2001 Newcomer of the Year as a freshman. Schwab is the league's active career leader in points (1,484), field goals (566), free throws (314), rebounds (571) and blocked shots (55). Read More ...
September 5, 2003
Wittenberg Partners With Stretch Internet to Provide High-Quality Internet Broadcasts of Athletic Events
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - Wittenberg University Tiger sports fans have more reason than ever to be excited about the opening kickoff to the 2003-04 school year. Now anyone, anywhere can listen in on all the action - live via a new, state-of-the-art Internet feed made possible by alumni gifts and the university's athletic department. Read More ...
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Non-discriminatory Policy Web Use Policy & Disclaimer Privacy Policy
© 2007 Wittenberg University